According to a recent survey conducted by Asahi Shimbun on March 16-17, the disapproval rating for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet has hit a record high of 67 percent, which marks an increase from the previous figure of 65 percent in February. This disapproval rating is the highest recorded since Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party came back into power in 2012. Despite this high level of disapproval, the approval rating for the Kishida Cabinet has seen a slight increase, climbing to 22 percent from its record low of 21 percent in the previous month.
The support rate for the ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), also experienced a minor increment, rising from 21 percent in February to 22 percent in the latest survey. Opposition parties, on the other hand, have not seen significant shifts in their support figures. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's support dipped from 7 percent to 6 percent, while Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) maintained a support rate of 4 percent. Other parties like Komeito, the Japanese Communist Party, Reiwa Shinsengumi, and the Democratic Party for the People also saw relatively unchanged support rates in the survey.
One of the key factors impacting the Cabinet's approval rating has been a scandal involving unreported political funds within LDP factions. This scandal has contributed to public dissatisfaction with Kishida's response, with 81 percent of respondents disapproving of his handling of the issue. Despite efforts by Kishida, including his attendance at an open session of a Diet ethics panel investigating the scandal, the survey found that the prime minister's response and the lack of transparency from LDP politicians have not bolstered support. Additionally, dissatisfaction with faction leaders involved in the scandal remains high, with a majority of respondents feeling that they have not been held accountable for the unreported political funds.
The survey also revealed public sentiments regarding former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's involvement in the scandal, with 65 percent of respondents believing he should be summoned before the Diet for questioning. A disbanded LDP faction linked to a significant amount of unreported political funds, known as the Abe faction, has also faced scrutiny. Despite claims that the funds were not taxable as they were used for policy activity expenses, a vast majority of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with this justification. In light of controversies like LDP lawmakers resigning over inappropriate events featuring scantily clad dancers, public sentiment towards the party's conduct remains critical, as highlighted by the survey results.