Prime Minister Takagi's Approval Rating Plummets! Women's Support Rate Drops Below 40% for the First Time, Japanese Cabinet Faces Crisis of Confidence

Japanese media today released the results of a recent online survey showing that less than half of the respondents have a favorable opinion of Prime Minister Takagi, marking the first time since she took office. The main reason is the decline in favorability among housewives and voters supporting conservative parties. The Asahi Shimbun and Professor Mako Miura of Osaka University's Social Psychology conducted a survey of 1,819 voters nationwide from April 4 to 6 through an online survey company and released the results today. This survey rated favorability on an 11-point scale from 0 (most unfavorable) to 10 (most favorable). Those who chose above the midpoint of 5, i.e., those who have a favorable opinion of Takagi, were 52% in the previous survey in February, but dropped to 43% in this survey, a decrease of 9 percentage points compared to the period when she led the LDP to a landslide victory in the House of Representatives election in February. The Asahi Shimbun pointed out that this is the first time since the formation of the Takagi government in October 2025 that those who have a favorable opinion of Takagi account for less than half. Meanwhile, another Japanese media, the Mainichi Shimbun, conducted a nationwide survey on July 18 and 19, showing that the support rate for the Takagi cabinet dropped sharply by 10 percentage points from June to 41%, the lowest since the cabinet took office, and for the first time fell below 50%. On the other hand, the non-support rate increased by 9 percentage points to 44%, surpassing the support rate for the first time. Since the formation of the Takagi cabinet in October of last year, it has maintained a high support rate, exceeding 65% for three consecutive months. Although it fell below 60% to 57% in January this year, it rose back to 61% after the LDP's landslide victory in the House of Representatives election in February. However, since March, her support rate has started to decline, dropping to 50% in May and remaining flat at 51% in June, still significantly higher than the non-support rate. But in July, the support rate plummeted. In particular, the decline in women's support rate was remarkable. By gender, the support rate for men was 50%, although it decreased by 8 percentage points from the previous month, but still half supported, and it was higher than the non-support rate of 42%. In contrast, the women's support rate decreased significantly by 11 percentage points from the previous month to 36%, not only far below the non-support rate of 47%, but also the first time that the non-support rate surpassed the support rate among women, indicating that the loss of women supporters has a significant impact on the overall support rate. A public opinion poll conducted by Japan News Network (NNN) and the Yomiuri Shimbun also showed that the support rate for the Takagi cabinet in July dropped by 12 percentage points from the previous month's survey to 57%, the lowest since Takagi took office. Nippon TV political reporter Ryoichiro Yagoka analyzed that the three main reasons are the loss of support from independent voters, the misplaced priority of policies, and the attitude of not wanting to explain. An official of the Prime Minister's Office revealed, 'The government gives the impression of continuously promoting policies such as the revision of the Imperial Household Law and the crime of damaging the national flag, which are not directly related to the lives of the people.' This survey also shows that there is still a strong voice in society hoping that Takagi will explain laws and policies more fully in parliamentary deliberations and other occasions.