Koizumi’s popularity as next prime minister drops: Jiji Poll

October 18, 2019

Tokyo--The largest proportion of the Japanese public want new Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to become the country's next prime minister, but he has suffered a decline in popularity, a Jiji Press opinion survey for October showed Friday.

Koizumi, who took his first ministerial post in a cabinet reshuffle in September, was chosen as the best person to become next prime minister by 18.8 pct of respondents, topping the list of possible candidates.

But his support rate fell by 5.6 percentage points from the March survey, which included the same question.

Shigeru Ishiba, former secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, came second with support from 15.8 pct, down from 18.9 pct, followed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with 10.3 pct, down from 14.2 pct.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga enjoyed a surge in his support rate, rising to fourth place with 8.0 pct, from seventh with 1.6 pct, apparently reflecting his higher name recognition after announcing the new Japanese era name of Reiwa on April 1 at a closely watched televised news conference.

Among other post-Abe candidates, LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Fumio Kishida was chosen by 7.5 pct, up from 5.1 pct, Defense Minister Taro Kono by 5.7 pct, up from 1.9 pct, and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi by 1.7 pct, up from 0.1 pct.

Among respondents who support the LDP, Abe came first with 20.8 pct, followed by Koizumi with 15.2 pct, Ishiba with 14.6 pct, Suga with 12.6 pct, Kishida with 12.3 pct, Kono with 9.4 pct and Motegi with 3.2 pct.

The interview-based survey was conducted for four days through Monday with 2,000 people aged 18 or older across the country. Valid responses came from 62.2 pct. Jiji Press