Support for Abe cabinet stays around 45 percent: Jiji Poll

June 14, 2019

Tokyo--The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet stood at 44.9 pct for June, up 0.2 percentage point from the previous month, a Jiji Press survey showed Friday.

The disapproval rating stood at 31.5 pct, up 0.4 point, according to the survey, conducted for four days through Monday.

Public attention was drawn to Abe's diplomacy during U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Japan last month. This apparently helped ease the impact of a controversial Financial Services Agency report suggesting that an elderly couple living on pensions needs 20 million yen in life savings.

On the consumption tax hike from 8 pct to 10 pct set for October, 55.1 pct opposed the measure clearly or to some extent, while 39.0 pct were somewhat or clearly in favor.

The current state of the Japanese economy was judged good by 1.2 pct, somewhat good by 23.7 pct, somewhat bad by 53.1 pct and bad by 13.5 pct.

Support exceeded opposition on whether to call a House of Representatives election together with a scheduled House of Councillors poll this summer, with 45.9 pct in favor or somewhat in favor and 32.4 pct opposed or somewhat opposed.

Asked about reasons for supporting the Abe cabinet, with multiple answers allowed, 21.0 pct said there is no other suitable person for prime minister, 12.9 pct said Abe has leadership skills, and 11.2 pct said they trust Abe.

Among those who disapproved of the cabinet, 15.5 pct said they do not trust the prime minister, 15.1 pct said they have no expectations of the cabinet and 11.2 pct poorly rated its policies.

The approval rating for Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party stood at 27.7 pct, up 1.2 point, while that for the major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan slid 0.4 point to 3.3 pct.

Public support came to 2.6 pct for Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner, 1.8 pct for the Japanese Communist Party, 1.2 pct for Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), 0.6 pct for the Democratic Party for the People and 0.3 pct for the Social Democratic Party.

The share of respondents who do not support any particular party slid 0.2 point to 59.4 pct.

The interview-based survey covered 2,000 adults aged 18 or older across Japan. Valid responses came from 62.8 pct.