Approval Rating for Takaichi Cabinet Hits Record Low Amid Backlash Over Imperial House Law Revision

The approval rating for the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has taken a hit following the revision of the Imperial House Law, which excludes the possibility of female succession to the throne.

According to public opinion polls conducted by the Asahi Shimbun and the Mainichi Shimbun today (July 20), the approval rating for the Takaichi cabinet has reached its lowest point since the administration took office in both surveys.

In a survey conducted by the Asahi Shimbun from July 18 to 19, immediately after the Imperial House Law revision bill passed the House of Councillors (upper house) on July 17, the Takaichi cabinet's approval rating was recorded at 53%.

This is a 7 percentage point drop from the 60% recorded in last month's survey and marks the first time the rating has fallen into the 50% range since the Takaichi administration launched in October of last year.

The Asahi Shimbun analyzed that the revision of the Imperial House Law was a factor in the decline, noting that the approval rating among respondents who said the revision did not gain public understanding was 42%, lower than the overall average, while their disapproval rating was 49%, higher than the overall average of 35%.

In a survey conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun during the same period, the Takaichi cabinet's approval rating fell 10 percentage points from 51% last month to 41%, marking a record low.

The Mainichi reported that the disapproval rating for the Takaichi cabinet reached 44%, surpassing the approval rating for the first time. The newspaper interpreted the sharp decline as a result of the ruling party failing to gain voter understanding despite revising the Imperial House Law with the goal of securing a sufficient number of royal family members.

The revised Imperial House Law allows for male descendants from former royal families to be adopted into the imperial family, granting them succession rights if they have sons.

These individuals are distant relatives, sharing an ancestor with the current Emperor Naruhito from about 600 years ago, placing them in the 36th to 38th degree of kinship, which has led to criticism regarding the legitimacy of their succession rights.

Furthermore, public backlash is growing because 70% of the public supports changing the Imperial House Law to allow for reigning empresses by ending the male-only succession rule, yet such discussions were not held. The fact that the revision does not grant royal status to the husbands and children of married female royals is also drawing criticism.

Some point out the irony that Prime Minister Takaichi, the first female prime minister of Japan, is aligning herself with the voices of conservative politicians who insist on male-only succession.

In the Asahi Shimbun survey, 60% of respondents answered that the revision of the Imperial House Law did not gain public understanding. In the Mainichi Shimbun survey, negative assessments of the revision stood at 45%, more than double the 19% who viewed it positively.

In the Mainichi Shimbun survey, 46% of respondents said the Takaichi administration's approach to policy implementation was not careful, higher than the 38% who said it was. This aligns with criticism from opposition parties that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is pushing through policies based on its numerical superiority following a landslide victory in the House of Representatives (lower house) election.

Additionally, only 29% of respondents gave a positive assessment of Prime Minister Takaichi's response to high inflation, while 57%—nearly double—gave a negative assessment.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.