The approval rating for the Japanese cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who was inaugurated on the 21st, continues to soar.

The Asahi Shimbun reported on the 17th that a survey conducted from the 15th to the 16th among 1,215 voters showed that 69% approved of the Takaichi cabinet.

In a survey conducted from the 25th to the 26th, at the beginning of the cabinet's term, the approval rating was 68%.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. EPA Yonhap News. 

The newspaper noted, "It is generally common for approval ratings to decline in a second survey compared to the beginning of a cabinet's term, but the Takaichi cabinet is maintaining approval ratings that are among the highest in history."

Regarding the Takaichi cabinet's response to high prices, 44% of respondents evaluated it positively, exceeding the "not effective" response rate of 33%. Specifically, 52% of respondents expected that the "abolition of the provisional tax rate for gasoline tax," which has already been agreed upon by both ruling and opposition parties, "would be highly effective."

For the summit meeting between President Donald Trump, who visited Japan last month, and Prime Minister Takaichi, "positive evaluation" (67%) significantly exceeded "no evaluation" (21%).

However, regarding whether Prime Minister Takaichi can improve relations between Japan and China, the responses were divided with similar rates: "cannot expect" (44%) and "can expect" (43%).

In relation to this, the Asahi Shimbun interpreted, "There is a possibility that the approval rating could be affected depending on Prime Minister Takaichi's response to Sino-Japanese relations."

Following Prime Minister Takaichi's statement in the Diet on the 7th, where he effectively indicated intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency by stating, "If military action, including the use of warships, is involved, it could become a situation of existential crisis," tensions between Japan and China have been escalating.

China has repeatedly criticized Prime Minister Takaichi, demanding that he retract the problematic remarks, and on the night of the 14th, it began to exert economic pressure by recommending its citizens to refrain from visiting Japan.

Yonhap News