Japan PM Takaichi’s Public Support Slips After Cabinet Scandal

Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi slipped after a member of her cabinet resigned over a scandal, opinion polls show, but her approval ratings remain relatively strong compared to other recent premiers after a year in office.

A survey conducted by the All Nippon News network over Oct. 17 and 18 showed an 11.2 percentage point tumble in support for Takaichi’s administration to 47.1%, the largest decline among an array of similar polls by media organizations. A survey conducted by the Yomiuri newspaper showed a two percentage point decline to 57%.

Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana stood down last week after media reports alleged he breached electoral funding rules and bragged about cutting funding for municipalities that did not support his campaign in February. Yana denied breaking the law, and said he was stepping down out of concern for holding up parliament and his ministerial duties.

Although she initially defended him, Takaichi accepted his resignation and named Arata Takebe as his replacement.

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Despite the decline in Takaichi’s approval ratings, she remains generally more popular than other recent prime ministers were at the one-year point in their respective administrations. A survey over the weekend by the Asahi newspaper showed Takaichi’s approval rating had fallen one percentage point to 50%. 

In comparison, the Asahi noted that Junichiro Koizumi, who became prime minister in 2001 with approval ratings around 80%, had an approval rating of 42% at the one-year point in his administration in the newspaper’s survey. 

Takaichi became prime minister on Oct. 21, 2025 and will need to be re-elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Party when her term ends in approximately a year if she is to stay on beyond that.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.