Support for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida jumped 6 percentage points from last month to 61% in a new poll, with about two thirds of respondents saying they approved of his government’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Japan has acted with unprecedented speed to clamp down on Russia, including by freezing the assets of individuals and entities, as well as stripping the country of its most-favored nation trade status. In response, Russia halted negotiations on a peace treaty that would bring a formal end to World War II.
About 44% of respondents to the poll carried out over the weekend by the Nikkei newspaper said they approved of Japan’s sanctions on Russia, while 41% said the economic punishments should be stronger. An overwhelming 90% of respondents said they agreed with the government’s decision to accept refugees from Ukraine, which is an unusual step for Japan.
The Nikkei poll is the latest of a series of surveys showing rising support for Kishida’s cabinet four months ahead of a key upper house election. A victory for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in July would help him to be re-elected as leader when his term expires in 2024 and open the way for him to stay in power until 2025.
Support for the LDP was at 49% in the survey, with the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party at 6% and the right-leaning opposition Nippon Ishin at 7%.
