Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s popularity fell sharply in the past month, opinion surveys show, amid rising public opposition to the wider use of My Number identity cards as well as low support for some of the government’s key policies.
A poll conducted from Friday through the weekend by the Yomiuri Shimbun showed a 15 percentage point drop in the Cabinet’s approval rating compared with last month, falling to 41%. In May, a well-received Group of Seven leaders meeting in Hiroshima had led to a significant rebound in Kishida’s support ratings.
The same survey showed that the disapproval figure, at 44%, exceeded the approval rating for the first time since April, when a positive shift in Japan-South Korea ties had buoyed Kishida’s standing.