Some 50.6 per cent of voters disapprove of Mr Aso's cabinet, up 3.1 points from September soon after he took office, while support fell 4.0 points to 47.1 per cent, according to a poll of 1,208 voters for Tokyo Broadcasting System.

The 68-year-old premier has come under fire for his frequent evening visits to hotel bars at a time when fears are mounting of a recession in Japan.

The TBS poll showed 61 per cent of respondents want him to refrain from visiting hotel bars so often, while 43 per cent do not expect much from his policies.

Aso took office with a mission to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to victory in elections, which must take place by September 2009.

But he has put off the high-risk general elections for now amid the global financial crisis, saying a bigger priority is to tackle an economic slump by pushing through a new fiscal stimulus package.

The flamboyant premier has tried to boost public popularity by demonstrating his down-to-earth side to voters. He made his first street speech as premier in Japan's subculture hub of Akihabara.

On Sunday night, Mr Aso appeared at a Tokyo pub and chatted to university students over a beer, before heading to a hotel bar again, despite growing criticism about his lifestyle.

Another poll of 1,130 voters by Nippon Television showed the approval rating for Aso's cabinet edged down 2.2 points compared with October to reach 43.7 per cent, while the disapproval rating rose 1.7 points to 38.3 per cent. -- AFP