Two latest surveys show that the approval rating of the cabinet led by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai continues to maintain a high level of around 70%, a rare stable performance in recent years in Japanese politics. Despite concerns among the public about rising prices and fiscal deficits, overall, society has given high affirmation to Takai’s government’s policy direction and security stance.
According to a poll released by the Nikkei Shimbun / Tokyo TV on Monday (December 22), Takai’s cabinet approval rating reached 75%, maintaining above 70% for three consecutive months. Another survey by Kyodo News showed a support rate of 67.5%, slightly down by 2.4 percentage points compared to the previous month but still in a high support range.
The non-support rates in the two surveys were 18% (Nikkei) and 20.4% (Kyodo); with the Nikkei survey showing steady non-support rates compared to the previous one, while Kyodo saw a slight increase of 3.9 percentage points.
In the economic field, the surveys reflect the public’s practical support for “monetary normalization.” According to the Nikkei survey, regarding the Bank of Japan’s decision to raise the policy interest rate to 0.75%, reaching a 30-year high last week, 55% of respondents expressed support, far surpassing the 26% who opposed, indicating public affirmation in actively addressing inflation.
Regarding policy priorities, the majority of the public are most concerned about economic issues, with 50% of respondents telling Nikkei that “controlling inflation” is the government’s top priority, followed by diplomacy and security (31%).
Despite the overall direction support, when it comes to specific subsidy measures such as issuing “rice coupons,” a high number of respondents, 82.4%, told Kyodo that they believe the effectiveness of this plan to combat soaring prices is limited.
However, many also expressed concerns about the country’s fiscal health. According to a Kyodo survey, about 64.6% of respondents deepened their worries about Japan’s financial situation due to the additional budget of 18.3 trillion yen for this fiscal year, along with the issuance of 11.7 trillion yen in new bonds.
Another highlight of this round of surveys is the trend in public opinion towards political party alliances.
The agreement reached between Takai’s Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party for the next fiscal year’s tax reform in 2026 has garnered approval from the majority of the public. In the Kyodo survey, 64.1% of respondents gave favorable reviews.
Furthermore, 49.2% of the public support the Democratic Party’s inclusion in the ruling coalition, demonstrating voters’ expectations for an expanded ruling base.
According to Kyodo data, by party affiliation, the approval rating of the Liberal Democratic Party is 31.1%, the main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, stands at 7.8%, the Democratic Party at 7.8%, and the Japan Innovation Party at 8.0%.
Regarding Prime Minister Takai’s comments on “if something happens in Taiwan,” the Kyodo survey indicates that although some respondents are concerned about the impact on Japan-China relations and the economy, 57.0% do not consider the remarks as “rash.” This shows a significant increase in Japanese society’s attention to security matters, with a considerable proportion of the public understanding the government’s stance when facing sensitive issues.
Overall, against the backdrop of rising prices and volatile international situations, Takai’s cabinet maintaining around 70% approval rating reflects the public’s recognition of her leadership and policy decisiveness.
Although facing challenges in fiscal implementation, the Takai government has successfully shaped an image of “broad public opinion” and “pragmatic reform” through policy cooperation with the Democratic Party.