NHK: "Japan's Takaichi Cabinet Approval Rating at 51%"... Falls Despite Reshuffle

NHK Releases Poll Results

A poll has found that approval ratings fell despite Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet reshuffle last month.

On the 13th, NHK announced the results of a poll of 1,184 men and women aged 18 and older conducted from October 10 to 12. The approval rating for the Takaichi Cabinet stood at 51%, down 2 percentage points from the previous month's poll. This was the lowest figure recorded since the Cabinet took office in October last year.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers her first speech at the UN General Debate since taking office. Yonhap News.

In the poll, 32% said they did not support the Takaichi Cabinet, up 1 percentage point from the previous month. Asked to assess last month's cabinet reshuffle and appointments to senior Liberal Democratic Party posts, 4% said they viewed them "very positively" and 38% said they viewed them "somewhat positively," bringing the total positive assessment to 42%.

By contrast, 33% said they "did not think much of" the changes, while 15% said they "did not think highly of them at all." The combined negative assessment of 48% was higher than the positive assessment.

Comments by newly appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Kazuo Yana, who joined the Cabinet in the reshuffle, were a particular factor. Yana caused controversy by saying he had "drastically cut" the budgets of municipalities in his constituency whose mayors had not supported him. Only 8% said they found Yana's explanation convincing, while 78% said they did not. Yana withdrew the remark, apologized, and said he would continue to carry out his duties.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.