The Tamesis
December 23, 2025
Tokyo – Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet maintained high approval ratings in a Yomiuri Shimbun poll conducted from Friday to Sunday.
The approval rating appears to be bolstered by the economic measures proposed by the government, as well as the supplementary budget for fiscal year 2025 to fund general economic measures. Public understanding of nuclear power plant restarts has also increased due to rising electricity costs.
On the other hand, most taxpayers are burdened by the high cost of living.
Opinion polls show that people highly appreciate the policies proposed by the prime minister. 61% of respondents approved the supplementary budget, which includes a payment of 20,000 yen per child and subsidies for winter utility bills. The popular budget was approved by 55% of opposition supporters and 56% of independent voters.
The concept of “responsible and active public finance” proposed by Gao Shi was recognized by 74% of respondents, 88% of those who supported the ruling coalition, and more than 60% of opposition supporters and independent voters. This economic method is especially favored by young and middle-aged respondents.
When asked if they agreed with restarting nuclear power plants that meet regulatory standards, 63% of respondents said yes, compared with 52% of September 2022 respondents. The higher proportion may be due to the impact of rising electricity costs due to factors such as the depreciation of the yen.
The high city cabinet also received high marks in areas other than the economy. China has taken an increasingly harsh stance against her “Taiwan emergency” remarks in Congress. However, when asked about the Gaoshi Cabinet’s attitude toward China, 62% of respondents agreed, 6 percentage points higher than the November poll.
Meanwhile, 47% of respondents said they strongly felt the high cost of living was placing a burden on their household budgets. These respondents’ support for the cabinet was 69%, slightly lower than other respondents.
