Although more than a month has passed since the birth of the new administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, its approval rating still remains amazingly high at nearly 90 percent.
Two weeks after the new government was sworn in, I wrote that while I applaud the prime minister's determination to carry out reform, I had some reservations as to whether he could sustain his popularity in light of several issues confronting him.
Koizumi himself stated that his administration's approval rating was at a peak and that it would probably fall to around 50 percent by the time the Upper House election is held July 29. Contrary to these predictions, however, he is still enjoying strong public support.