World

Japanese Government's Approval Rating Drops to Record Low of 33%, Poll Shows

MOSCOW (Sputnik) -The rating of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government has dropped to the lowest figure of 33% among those surveyed, down by 3 percentage points compared with December, a poll released by the Japanese broadcaster showed on Wednesday.
Sputnik
The latest decrease in the approval rating marks the lowest since the establishment of Kishida's cabinet and was at the same level for the first time in November 2022, the poll showed.
Meanwhile, the number of those expressing distrust in the Japanese government has increased by 1 percentage point to a total of 45%, which is the second highest figure after 46% recorded in November last year, the survey said.
Kishida's policy aimed at raising taxes to replenish the country's defense budget has caused a major disagreement, as 61% of the respondents opposed the move and only 28% approved the measures, according to the poll.
Military
Japan Cabinet Approves 2023 Draft Budget at $862Bln With Record Defense Part, Reports Say
Forty nine percent of those sampled said it was necessary to dissolve the Japanese parliament and ask the will of voters during new elections, while 35% were against the dissolution, it added.
The survey was conducted from January 7-9 by random computer sampling among 1,250 people aged over 18.
The Japanese cabinet was reshuffled in August and was reportedly considering realizing partial government staff changes in early January due to record low approval rating. Kishida reportedly abandoned his plan to carry out a broader reshuffle, since he found it difficult to select candidates to form a new government completely free of scandals or relations with the controversial Unification Church.
In mid-November, the Japanese prime minister dismissed Justice Minister Yasuhiro Hanashi over his controversial statements about duties related to signing death sentences, which sparked criticism among Japan's opposition parties. Economic Revitalization Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa resigned at the end of October over his ties to the Unification Church, which has been in the spotlight following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Discuss