Takichi Cabinet Approval Rating Drops to 70%; 47% Support Quick Consumption Tax Cut

(Central News Agency, Tokyo, 8th) According to a nationwide opinion poll conducted by the Japan News Network (JNN) from the 6th to the 7th, the approval rating for the cabinet led by Prime Minister Takichi fell 4.2 percentage points from May to 70.0%. The disapproval rating rose 3.1 points to 27.4%. Although the approval rating has declined, it remains at a relatively high level in recent Japanese politics.

Among respondents who support the Takichi cabinet, the most common reason given was "trust in Prime Minister Takichi's character, political philosophy, and governance approach."

In terms of party support, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led with 35.5%, up 1.6 points from May. The Democratic Party for the People received 3.9%, the Party of Political Participation 3.6%, the Constitutional Democratic Party 3.4%, the Komeito Party 2.3%, and the Japan Innovation Party fell to 2.0%. Additionally, 37.9% of respondents had no specific party affiliation, remaining the largest group.

On energy policy, amid rising concerns over energy supply due to the escalating situation in the Middle East, Prime Minister Takichi recently stated that naphtha, refined from crude oil, "can be supplied until next year."

However, public opinion on this statement was divided: 45% found it acceptable (including "very acceptable" and "somewhat acceptable"), while 48% found it unacceptable (including "not very acceptable" and "not at all acceptable"), slightly exceeding those who accepted it.

Regarding the government's policy of using subsidies to keep gasoline prices at around 170 yen per liter, 45% of respondents believed the current policy should be maintained, 41% thought subsidies should be gradually reduced, and only 9% advocated for their immediate abolition, reflecting ongoing public concern about rising energy prices.

On tax reform, the survey showed that 47% of respondents said they would accept a consumption tax reduction to just 1% if it could be implemented more quickly. This result is identical to the May survey, indicating that the public prioritizes the speed of policy implementation over the magnitude of the tax cut.

The survey was conducted via telephone using random digit dialing targeting individuals aged 18 and over nationwide. A total of 2,689 people were sampled, with 1,021 providing valid responses, yielding an effective response rate of 38.0%. JNN stated that to avoid sample bias common in online surveys, the survey was conducted by interviewers directly via telephone.