Japan PM Kishida's support edges up after Abe shooting, election

TOKYO (REUTERS) - Support for the government of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida edged up in the wake of his ruling party's election win, but hurdles remain for key parts of his agenda, including constitutional revision, according to opinion polls.

Mr Kishida's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) increased its seats held in the upper house of parliament in Sunday's election, and maintained a majority with its conservative coalition in the poll, conducted two days after former prime minister Shinzo Abe was killed at a campaign rally.

Support for Mr Kishida's government rose to 65 per cent in a poll by the Yomiuri Shimbun, up 8 points from a late June survey, while a different poll by Kyodo News Agency pegged support at 63.2 per cent, up 6.3 points.

Both polls were conducted on Monday and Tuesday.

A vast majority of voters polled by the Yomiuri, 79 per cent, want Mr Kishida to stay in office for at least two years, or around the time of the next election for president of the LDP, who by virtue of his party's majority becomes prime minister.

Of that, 27 per cent wanted him as prime minister for "as long as possible". But this support doesn't necessarily translate into support for Mr Kishida's agenda, including revising the pacifist constitution - something that Mr Abe had wanted to do.

Only 37 per cent of voters polled by Kyodo thought the issue should be handled "speedily", while 58.4 per cent believed there's no need for haste.