Support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet has fallen to its lowest point since she assumed office in October 2025, according to multiple opinion polls conducted over the past weekend. The decline reflects growing public skepticism about the administration’s governing philosophy, policy effectiveness, and overall approach.

A survey by Mainichi Shimbun recorded Cabinet approval at 41 percent, the lowest since Takaichi’s government began. Similarly, a Kyodo News poll reported a drop to 50.2 percent approval, down 3.5 percentage points from July. Polls across various outlets focused heavily on the government’s proposed consumption tax reduction on food, planned to be cut from the current 8 percent to 1 percent for two years starting in April 2027.

Public opinion on the tax cut policy varied. A Yomiuri Shimbun poll found 54 percent support, while Kyodo News showed 52.7 percent backing the measure. An ANN survey registered 47 percent support against 42 percent opposition. In contrast, Mainichi’s poll indicated a prevailing negative view with 47 percent disapproving compared to 33 percent supportive.

Despite majority support in most polls, there remains considerable anxiety regarding the fiscal impact of the tax cut. Approximately 71 to 72 percent of respondents in Kyodo and ANN surveys expressed concern about the policy’s strain on government finances. The Yomiuri poll also revealed public worries that the tax reduction might undermine the sustainability of Japan’s social security system. Skepticism persists about whether the administration can reinstate the original tax level after the two-year period.

In addition to economic concerns, political issues have influenced public sentiment. The Kyodo poll found that 42.6 percent disapproved of Takaichi’s omission of the word “remorse” in her address on August 15, during a ceremony marking Japan’s World War II defeat.

Experts note that the decline in approval stems partly from ongoing economic challenges faced by Japanese households amid rising living costs. Liu Shuliang, an associate researcher at the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that Takaichi’s economic policies—often compared to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics” and referred to in the media as “Sanae-nomics”—are largely geared toward short-term electoral gains rather than tackling structural economic issues. He cautioned that such measures, like consumption tax cuts, could heighten fiscal risks and put additional pressure on future administrations, without pursuing necessary reforms to Japan’s entrenched vested interests.

Political scandals remain a major source of public dissatisfaction as well. Chen Hong, director of the Asia Pacific Studies Center at East China Normal University, highlighted that nearly three-quarters of respondents in the Kyodo poll opposed Takaichi’s plan to appoint lawmakers implicated in a political slush fund scandal to influential posts. This reflects widespread frustration over political funding controversies and factional politics within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which experts say persist unabated.

Since assuming office, the Takaichi Cabinet has taken a pronounced conservative and in some respects right-leaning stance, particularly on national security, foreign affairs, historical interpretation, and imperial household reform. Analysts suggest this shift aligns closely with demands of Japan’s right-wing factions and is intensifying ideological polarization in Japanese politics. Chen warned that such divisions may weaken social cohesion and stability by entrenching conflicting political and societal camps.