Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi [Yonhap News Agency]

A public opinion poll has revealed that two out of three Japanese people are in favor of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's preparations for constitutional reform, an initiative she has expressed strong enthusiasm for following the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's landslide victory in the general election.

The Sankei Shimbun, known for its strong conservative stance, reported on the 17th that a telephone survey conducted jointly with Fuji News Network (FNN) on 1,008 individuals aged 18 and over from the 14th to the 15th of this month showed that 67.1% responded affirmatively to the question, "Do you support the Takaichi administration's preparations for constitutional reform?"

The proportion of respondents who opposed the preparations for constitutional amendment was 25.2%.

When examined by the political parties they support, 78.8% of LDP supporters responded in favor of constitutional reform preparations, while only 29.8% of supporters of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan expressed support.

By age group, respondents in their 50s and younger all exceeded 70% in their support for constitutional reform preparations. For those in their 60s, the figure was 62.3%, and for those aged 70 and over, it was 46.5%.

Sankei commented, "The proportion of support was lower among older demographics," explaining, "Given that supporters of the Constitutional Democratic Party are concentrated among the elderly, the proportion of opponents to constitutional reform among this party's supporters appears to be high."

At a press conference on the 9th of this month, Prime Minister Takaichi stated, "I am determined to make persistent efforts to create an environment where a referendum on constitutional reform can be held as soon as possible," signaling her intention to accelerate the amendment of the "peace constitution," which has not been revised even once since its promulgation in 1946.

The LDP has been pursuing a plan to explicitly mention the Self-Defense Forces, Japan's de facto military, in the constitution, which currently renounces war and the maintenance of armed forces.

To propose an amendment bill, more than two-thirds of the members of both the House of Representatives (lower house) and the House of Councillors (upper house) must approve it.

In the general election held on the 8th of this month, the LDP secured 316 seats, exceeding the 310 seats required to propose an amendment bill, out of a total of 465 seats. In addition to the LDP, its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, also has a positive stance on constitutional reform. Analyses have shown that 93% of those elected in the recent general election are in favor of constitutional reform.

However, the ruling parties still do not hold a majority in the House of Councillors, making it difficult to push for constitutional reform immediately. The next House of Councillors election is scheduled for the summer of 2028.

In the Sankei survey, the approval rating for Prime Minister Takaichi's cabinet was 72.0%, an increase of 1.8 percentage points from the previous month.

A telephone poll conducted by NHK from the 13th to the 15th with 1,188 respondents also showed the Takaichi cabinet's approval rating at 65%, a 7 percentage point increase from the previous month.