Support for Abe Cabinet falls below 40% in Yomiuri survey

The approval rating of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet stood at 39% in a survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun on July 3-5. It is the first time the Cabinet’s approval rating has been below 40% since Abe came under fire over scandals surrounding school operator Moritomo Gakuen and the Kake Gakuen Educational Institution in April 2018, when the figure was also 39%.

In the previous nationwide survey, conducted June 6-7, the approval rating was 40%. The disapproval rating this time came in at 52%, up from 50% in the June survey.

Asked about the arrest of former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai and his wife, upper house lawmaker Anri Kawai, on suspicion of bribery surrounding last summer’s upper house election, 65% said they thought Abe, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party to which the couple had belonged, is largely responsible.

Regarding the decision to withdraw the planned deployment of the Aegis Ashore ground-based missile interceptor system, 53% support it and 33% do not support it. Asked whether Japan should possess the capability to attack enemy bases before being attacked by foreign missiles, 43% agree while 49% disagree.

Asked when the House of Representatives should be dissolved for a general election, 40% said it’s not necessary until the term expires, while 27% said the first half of next year and 21% said this year.

The approval ratings for political parties were 32% for the LDP (34% in the June survey) and 5% for the Constitutional

Democratic Party (4% in June). Those who do not support any particular party accounted for 46% (45% in June).

In the July survey, 57% said they were very worried about a second wave of novel coronavirus infections, up from 52% in the June survey.

Those who worry “to some extent” accounted for 38%, down from 39% last month, bringing the total percentage of people who are worried to 95%.

The government stopped asking people to limit inter-prefectural travel on June 19. However, when asked about summer trips this year, 12% of respondents said they would be traveling beyond prefectures, while 15% said they would be taking a short trip within their own prefecture and 67% said they would refrain from traveling.

The government plans to launch a campaign to promote domestic tourism in August, subsidizing half of travel costs. The survey suggests people remain cautious about traveling.

The proportion of respondents who said declaring a state of emergency in the event of a resurgence of infections should be carefully considered by taking into account its impact on economy rose to 49% from 36% in June, while those who answered a declaration should be issued promptly to protect the health of people accounted for 47%, down from 61% in June.

In response to a government panel of experts’ calls for an 80% reduction in person-to-person contact and proposals for a “new lifestyle,” 66% said the panel’s advice was appropriate.

The Yomiuri Shimbun obtained responses from 1,086 people aged 18 or older across Japan, by calling random numbers on fixed and mobile telephones.

The Yomiuri Shimbun Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is seen on July 5.