Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to struggle to secure a stable political base after holding a controversial state funeral for former leader Shinzo Abe on Tuesday despite strong opposition from the public.

Several other issues, including questionable relations between ruling lawmakers and a notorious religious group, the Unification Church, as well as price hikes that have been weighing on consumer and business confidence, have also hurt the popularity of Kishida's government.

Kishida, who took office in October 2021, managed to maintain relatively high approval ratings for his administration. However, his political maneuvering has been under fire since Abe was fatally shot during an election campaign speech in July.