Fifty-two percent of respondents support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ambition to realize summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without preconditions, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun opinion survey conducted from Friday to Sunday.
Thirty-three percent opposed the idea.
By political party, 61 percent of respondents who back the ruling party favored the idea, with 28 percent opposed. Among those with no party affiliation, 45 percent expressed support with 35 percent opposed, while support and opposition among opposition party supporters were the same at 43 percent.
When asked whether the international community should focus on "dialogue" or "pressure" to resolve North Korea's nuclear and missile issues, 47 percent of respondents chose "dialogue," eclipsing the 40 percent who want pressure. The numbers mark a reversal from a previous poll conducted in March in which 45 percent supported "pressure" and 41 percent "dialogue."
The approval rating for the Abe Cabinet stood at 55 percent, almost unchanged from the 54 percent found in the previous survey conducted from April 26 to 28. Disapproval was 32 percent, up one percentage point from the 31 percent found in the April survey.
Opinion over the Abe Cabinet's economic policies was divided, with 41 percent expressing approval and 43 percent disapproval. In another poll conducted last August, 48 percent favorably viewed the Cabinet's economic policies while 38 percent disapproved.
Regarding the hike in the consumption tax rate to 10 percent set for October, 44 percent said they back the measure while 51 percent said they do not. When asked about holding a House of Representatives election the same day as the House of Councillors election, 44 percent said it was acceptable while 38 percent said it was not.
67% back changes to Imperial succession
Following the Emperor's enthronement, only three male members of the Imperial family remain in the line of succession. With this in mind, 67 percent of respondents believe it is necessary to review the current system to ensure a stable succession, far more than the 23 percent who say such measures are unneeded.
By age group, 78 percent of respondents in their 70s said the system should be reviewed, the highest among all age brackets. About 70 percent of respondents in their 30s, 40s and 50s back such an approach, with slightly less than 60 percent of those aged 18 to 29 or 70 and older expressing support.
Seventy-nine percent of respondents support revising the Imperial House Law to allow a female emperor, while only 13 percent are opposed. In another survey conducted in August 2016, just after the Emperor Emeritus expressed his intention to abdicate, 72 percent backed such a revision, versus 15 percent who were opposed. However, the wording for the question differed in the two surveys.
Additionally, 62 percent of respondents in the latest survey believe female descendants of female emperors should be allowed to ascend to the throne, compared to 22 percent who disagreed.
The survey was conducted using a random digit dialing method in which phone numbers were randomly generated by a computer. A total of 934 households with eligible voters were contacted via landline, as well as 1,195 mobile phone users. Of those contacted, 534 on landlines and 529 on mobile phones gave valid answers.
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