Photo/Illutration Poster boards for candidates in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward running in the July 20 Upper House election (Mitsuteru Mori)

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has a 10-percentage point lead over the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan in terms of voter popularity heading into the Upper House election campaign, a survey showed.

The online survey targeting eligible voters nationwide was conducted by The Asahi Shimbun and Asako Miura, a professor at the University of Osaka who has expertise in social psychology.

Asked which political party they most favored as of July 1, 26.7 percent of respondents picked the LDP, followed by the CDP with 16.5 percent and the Democratic Party for the People with 15.5 percent.

The DPP’s support rate was unchanged from June, but it represented a sharp decline from March to May, when the rate exceeded 20 percent.

This decrease is believed to have been the result of the party’s revocation of endorsements for candidates in the July 20 Upper House election.

The official campaign period started on July 3.

The support rate for Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) has hovered between 11 percent and 13 percent since April, following 19 percent in March, when more survey responses were collected from Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, the party’s stronghold.

Sanseito was picked by 7.2 percent of respondents in the latest survey, up sharply from about 2 percent until April.

The monthly survey has been conducted since February through an internet research firm. Responses have gathered from 700 to 2,700 people each time.

The survey is not based on random sampling like traditional public opinion polls, so it may not represent a perfect cross-section of all voters.

The survey also included questions about respondents’ feelings toward people who agree or disagree with their political views.

Four more surveys will be conducted until just before July 20 Upper House election.

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