Portrait of Fumio Kishida
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Fumio Kishida on Approval Rating

Navigating historic lows (strong)

TL;DR

Fumio Kishida's cabinet approval rating has repeatedly reached record lows, primarily due to political scandals and public distrust.

Key Points

  • His cabinet's approval rating hit a record low of 14 percent in a February 2024 Mainichi Shimbun poll, with a disapproval rating soaring to 82 percent.

  • The decline in support has been ongoing since May 2023, with ratings lingering in the 20 percent range for nine consecutive months as of July 2024 according to one poll.

  • Lack of public confidence is often attributed to the political funds scandal, with some respondents citing an inability to trust the prime minister or his leadership.

  • The political funds scandal and Unification Church links following the Abe assassination were cited as major factors causing initial severe drops in public support starting in 2022.

Summary

Fumio Kishida's tenure as Prime Minister has been marked by a consistent struggle with low public approval ratings, which frequently dropped to historic lows for his administration. His support suffered a drastic decline beginning in mid-2022, following public controversy over the state funeral for former Prime Minister Abe and the subsequent surfacing of widespread links between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Unification Church. Even attempts at political maneuvering, such as a cabinet reshuffle or the dissolution of his own LDP faction, the Kochikai, have not managed to generate sustained positive momentum in public opinion polls.

More recently, the approval ratings, often measured in the low twenties or even below 20 percent, have been severely impacted by the major political funds slush fund scandal involving LDP factions, including his own. Public sentiment reflects a deep erosion of trust, with large majorities stating they cannot expect much from his policies or that he lacks sufficient leadership. This sustained unpopularity has positioned his continued leadership, particularly his bid to remain LDP president beyond September, as precarious, though opposition weaknesses sometimes offer a political buffer.

Key Quotes

“Japan is facing a situation, which could be described as a national crisis”

“The most obvious first step to show that the LDP will change is for me to step aside. Politics cannot function without public trust,”

Frequently Asked Questions

Fumio Kishida does not publicly comment on his specific approval ratings, but his administration is clearly affected by them. The repeated record-low ratings are seen as a direct indicator of public dissatisfaction with his government's handling of domestic issues.

His approval rating saw a drastic decline following controversial decisions, such as holding a state funeral for former Prime Minister Abe, and later due to the growing political funds slush fund scandal. Analysts suggest the public lost confidence in his handling of party management amid these issues.

Fumio Kishida's stated position is to listen to the public, indicating that approval ratings are something he must address. However, his actions, like major political reforms, suggest a pragmatic response to declining support rather than a specific stance on the rating itself.