Support for Abe rises above 60%

TOKYO: Support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe edged above 60% for the first time in almost two years, and nearly the same percentage want him to stay in the top job until Tokyo hosts the Summer Games in 2020, a media survey showed yesterday. Voters, however, were split over the premier’s “Abenomics” growth recipe of hyper-easy monetary policy, fiscal spending and promised reforms, with 47% giving the thumbs down to the Bank of Japan’s negative interest rate stance, the poll showed. Support for Mr Abe’s cabinet hit 62% in the Aug 26-28 survey by the Nikkei business newspaper, up four points from earlier this month. The paper suggested the rise could be due to Olympics fever, after a closing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro where Mr Abe appeared dressed as popular video game character Mario.