According to an August opinion poll by Jiji Press, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) saw its approval rating drop to 15.7%, marking a continued decline under the administration of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, which began in October 2024. This is the lowest rating since May 2023 during the Kishida administration when it was also at 15.7%. Notably, support among those aged 40 and under fell to single digits, highlighting a significant disconnect with younger voters.
The survey, conducted from August 8 to 11, involved face-to-face interviews with 2,000 people across Japan aged 18 and older, achieving a valid response rate of 56.9%. Despite maintaining the highest support among parties nationwide, the LDP’s backing among young adults aged 18-29 rose slightly to 9.2%, while in the 30s age group, it plummeted to 4.8%, and in the 40s, to 6.3%. For these demographics, both the Sansei Party and the Democratic Party for the People surpassed the LDP in popularity.
Approval ratings for those in their 50s stood at 13.6%, for those in their 60s at 15.4%, while support among the 70 and older crowd surged to 29.2%, marking a significant increase. Since the LDP returned to power in December 2012, its lowest support was 14.6% in January 2024. Today’s figures show, for the first time, that support among all age groups under 40 fell below 10%.
Regarding gender, male support rose slightly to 17.9%, while female support decreased to 13.1%. Regionally, approval was 13.8% in Tokyo and other major cities, 16.4% in smaller cities, and 17.3% in towns and villages, indicating a notable decrease in urban areas.
Other party support figures show the Sansei Party at 7.6%, Democratic Party for the People at 6.8%, Constitutional Democratic Party at 5.5%, Komeito at 3.7%, Japan Innovation Party at 2.4%, Communist Party at 1.8%, Japan Conservative Party at 1.6%, and Reiwa Shinsengumi at 1.5%. The Sansei Party climbed to second place, while the Constitutional Democratic Party fell to fourth.
In the Upper House election, Sansei and the Democratic Party for the People gained significantly in seats, reflecting their growing momentum. Examining gender-based approval, Sansei saw 10.2% support among men and 4.3% among women. The Democratic Party for the People recorded 8.5% among men and 4.7% among women, indicating a common challenge of boosting female support.
Support for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet rose somewhat to 27.3%, while its disapproval rate fell to 49.6%. Despite this slight improvement, approval has not reached 30% since its inception, signaling a prolonged decline. Support among those aged 70 and older surged to 47.1%, the only group where approval exceeded disapproval (36.8%).
by MagazineKey4532