Japan's Takaichi hits new approval low as fiscal worries mount

Support for Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's cabinet has fallen to its lowest level since taking office, according to multiple major media polls, as public anxiety grows over funding for her food tax cut plan and its implications for social welfare.

A nationwide Yomiuri Shimbun poll conducted Friday through Sunday showed cabinet support at 56 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous month, marking a new low for the second consecutive month.

Particularly notable was a drop among voters aged 60 and older, whose support fell from 52 percent to 47 percent — slipping below 50 percent for the first time.

However, the disapproval rating edged down from 34 percent to 32 percent.

A separate Kyodo News poll conducted Saturday and Sunday and released Monday also showed Takaichi's approval rating at 50.2 percent, down 3.5 percentage points from the previous month and the lowest since she took office. Her disapproval rating rose 0.2 percentage points to 33.9 percent.

A Mainichi Shimbun poll conducted over the same period found support unchanged from the previous month at 41 percent, with disapproval also flat at 44 percent — meaning negative ratings have exceeded positive ones for two consecutive months.

The Takaichi cabinet maintained approval ratings above 65 percent for three consecutive months after taking office last October, but has been unable to reverse a slide that began in March.

Takaichi has made a key policy of cutting the consumption tax on food from the current 8 percent to 1 percent for two years starting next April, aimed at supporting households struggling with rising prices for daily necessities amid a weaker yen and deteriorating conditions in the Middle East.

Support for the policy exceeded 50 percent in both surveys — 54 percent in the Yomiuri poll and 52.7 percent in the Kyodo poll. Opposition stood at 40 percent and 43.1 percent, respectively.

However, 71.7 percent of respondents in the Kyodo poll said they feared the temporary tax cut would worsen Japan's fiscal health if implemented as planned. Kyodo News said Japan's government bond yields have risen and the yen has weakened as the Takaichi cabinet pursues aggressive fiscal spending to support key strategic industries and stimulate the economy, adding that the government's fiscal position is the worst among developed nations.

Only 41 percent of respondents in the Yomiuri poll believed the tax rate could be restored to 8 percent after two years, while 50 percent said they doubted it could be reversed. Support for the tax cut in that poll varied sharply by age — 71 percent among those aged 18 to 39, 54 percent among those aged 40 to 59, and 44 percent among those aged 60 and older. Younger respondents were seen as hoping for relief from rising prices, while older respondents were more concerned about potential cuts to social security funding.

Takaichi's decision to forgo a visit to Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender, drew broadly positive assessments. In the Yomiuri poll, 58 percent said the decision was appropriate, far outpacing the 29 percent who said it was not.

In the Kyodo poll, 47.8 percent approved of Takaichi's choice not to use the word "remorse" in her surrender anniversary address, while 42.6 percent opposed it. As for her act of bowing twice and clapping twice from a distance toward Yasukuni Shrine — a gesture known as yohai — 44.0 percent expressed support. Some 26.7 percent said she should have visited the shrine in person, while 22.1 percent said she should not have paid respects even from a distance.