Updated
Updated · The Japan Times · Jul 30
Takaichi’s Approval Drops 10 Points, Still Holding in the 40s to 50s
Updated
Updated · The Japan Times · Jul 30

Takaichi’s Approval Drops 10 Points, Still Holding in the 40s to 50s

3 articles · Updated · The Japan Times · Jul 30

Summary

  • Polls this month showed Sanae Takaichi’s approval rating falling by as much as 10 points, the sharpest decline since she took office last year.
  • Support still sits from the low 40s to high 50s, leaving the slump notable for Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party but not yet a full alarm.
  • Takaichi had outperformed her three immediate predecessors and sustained unusually high ratings reminiscent of mentor Shinzo Abe, making the drop stand out more sharply.
  • The setback is being read as a mix of early-administration growing pains and possible deeper structural weaknesses in a country where public opinion carries heavy political weight.

Insights

Are missing senior aides the real reason behind Prime Minister Takaichi's sudden popularity drop, rather than economic woes?
Will Japan's rising inflation and economic anxiety ultimately unravel Prime Minister Takaichi's once-ironclad political honeymoon?
Could Prime Minister Takaichi's strict conservative stance on male imperial succession alienate the public and crash her approval?