The approval rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet has slipped to 49 percent, down six percentage points from 55 percent in the previous survey and falling below the 50 percent mark for the first time in nine months since February, according to a nationwide opinion survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun.
The telephone survey using random digit dialing was conducted from Friday through Sunday.
The disapproval rate was 36 percent, up two percentage points from the 34 percent in the previous survey conducted from Oct. 18 to 20.
The most common reason for not supporting Abe's Cabinet was that respondents do not trust the prime minister -- this answer was given by 45 percent, largely surpassing 35 percent in the previous poll.
The fall in the approval rate is believed to be largely due to criticism that surfaced about the large number of people connected to Abe's support group who were invited to attend the prime minister's annual cherry blossom viewing party.
Regarding the government's canceling of next year's cherry blossom viewing party, 51 percent supported the move, while 35 percent opposed it.
As to the resignation of two key ministers in the about 1-1/2 months since the Cabinet reshuffle in September, 52 percent of respondents said Abe is largely responsible for having appointed them, while 42 percent said they do not think so.
Then Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Isshu Sugawara and then Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai resigned on Oct. 25 and 31, respectively.
The government is alarmed by the fall in the Cabinet approval rating below the 50 percent mark in the survey.
A look at the approval rating by age group reveals a significant decline among elderly people.
Among respondents in their 60s, the approval rating was 42 percent, down 13 percentage points from 55 percent in the October survey. Among respondents 70 or older, 45 percent supported the Cabinet, down from 54 percent in the previous survey.
Sixty-four percent of respondents in their 60s as well as 65 percent of respondents 70 or older also said Abe is largely responsible for having appointed Sugawara and Kawai as key ministers. The figures were higher than those of the younger generation respondents.
Regarding the reasons for the fall in the approval rating, a senior government official cited the successive resignations of the two ministers and the criticism of Abe's alleged use of the cherry blossom viewing party for his own interest.
"A series of things that would give the public a bad impression of the prime minister occurred one after another. The Cabinet has no choice but to redeem its image in a step-by-step manner by making policy achievements," the official said.
Another senior government official said that public trust of the prime minister himself has been on the decline. "The government needs to get back on its feet while the damage is still not so large," the official said
65% positive on Abe's performance
Sixty-five percent of the respondents praised Abe's performance since the inauguration of his second Cabinet in 2012.
Twelve percent of respondents thought Abe's performance has been "great," while 53 percent praised his performance as "somewhat" good.
Respondents were asked about his performance because Abe will become the nation's longest-serving leader if his leadership continues until Wednesday.
Thirty-three percent of the respondents were negative about the prime minister's performance. Twenty-one percent said they could not praise the job he has done, while 12 percent said they could not praise him at all.
"The public reacted quickly to the emergence of the arrogant attitude of this long-term administration. The prime minister needs to explain at the Diet about the cherry blossom viewing party. He will continue to lose the support of the public if he keeps avoiding facing up to the issue," said Jun Azumi, Diet affairs chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.
Ishiba most backed as next PM
Asked who would be most desirable as the next prime minister among Liberal Democratic Party members, 21 percent chose former party Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba. He was followed by Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi with 18 percent, Abe with 15 percent, Defense Minister Taro Kono with 9 percent and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga with 6 percent.
Koizumi got the most support at 21 percent on the same question in the survey conducted Sept. 13 to 15 immediately after the Cabinet reshuffle, followed by Ishiba with 18 percent.
In the survey, 1,051 voting-age people responded. Among them, 520 responded on fixed-line phones while 531 responded on mobile phones.
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