Japanese PM Takaichi’s government kicks off with strong support

TOKYO –

Newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

started off her term with high approval ratings, in a show of optimism that she could deliver on her pledges that include countering inflation and strengthening the economy. 

Ms Takaichi has pledged to do more for households struggling with rising costs and is known to be a fiscal expansionist.

Her government, which she convened on Oct 21, is already working on an economic package aimed at easing the burden of inflation on households and companies.

Her Cabinet’s approval ratings were 64.4 per cent, according to a poll conducted earlier this week by Kyodo news agency, with 26.6 per cent of respondents saying the reason they supported the government was because they trusted Ms Takaichi, while 22.5 per cent said they had high hopes for her economic policies.

A separate poll by the Yomiuri newspaper showed a 71 per cent approval rating.

That puts her support rate at a much higher level than the inaugural polls for Mr Shigeru Ishiba’s and Mr Fumio Kishida’s governments, whose approval rates were 50.7 per cent and 55.7 per cent respectively in Kyodo surveys.

It also appears that the choice of Ms Takaichi as leader has so far successfully attracted younger voters.

The Yomiuri poll showed that among respondents who said they support Ms Takaichi’s Cabinet, the percentage of those aged between 18 and 39 had increased fivefold to 80 per cent, from 15 per cent for the Ishiba Cabinet in its previous poll conducted in September.

Her administration’s popularity also jumped for those in their 40s and 50s, to 75 per cent compared with 29 per cent previously.

Ms Takaichi’s term starts amid a broader shift towards conservatism in the political landscape, as the Liberal Democratic Party she leads pivoted from having centrist Komeito to the right-leaning Japan Innovation Party as its coalition partner.

The tilt comes as an increasing number of people express dissatisfaction over a sense that living standards are not keeping up with global trends, the influx of foreigners into the country and concern about rising security tensions in the region.

Ms Takaichi must also navigate relations with the United States, starting with a visit by President Donald Trump next week to Japan.

She will also likely head to the regional Asean and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conferences, where she could possibly meet with her South Korean and Chinese counterparts on the sidelines.

Further down the line, her government will be navigating a Parliament in which her ruling coalition is still shy of a majority by two seats in the more powerful Lower House, meaning she will need support from outside her coalition to pass major legislation.

One of the first major items on the agenda will be her package of economic measures.

The size of the package and whether additional bond issuance would be needed to finance it remains unclear.

A supplementary budget will be put together to finance the measures, according to an order from Ms Takaichi to compile the package. Bloomberg