
Abe’s comeback and the outlook for a general election
September 25, 2017Author: Tobias Harris
Categories: Japan Political Pulse
Given Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s current status — recovering approval ratings, high marks for his handling of a serious foreign policy crisis, with an established opposition party in seemingly terminal decline, and a new opposition party scrambling to prepare for an election — the political logic of a snap election is indisputable. This analysis takes an in-depth look at public opinion polls on Abe and what they reveal about the coming election.
Tags: Abe, Asahi Shimbun, Cabinet, election, Japan, japan political pulse, jiji press, jpp, Kake Gakuen, kyodo news, LDP, Liberal Democratic Party, Mainichi Shimbun, moritomo gakuen, NHK, Nikkei, North Korea, Nuclear, poll, polling, public opinion, Shinzo Abe, snap election, tobias harris, yomiuru shimbun

Post-reshuffle polls show public generally supports new cabinet, but with reservations
August 5, 2016Author: Tobias Harris
Categories: Japan Political Pulse
Three polls conducted after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his cabinet and the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership team on August 3 show that while the cabinet did not receive a bump in support after the reshuffle, the public generally approves of Abe’s decisions.
Tags: Abe, approval, Cabinet, cabinet reshuffle, defense minister, disapproval, jpp. japan political pulse, LDP, Liberal Democratic Party, Politics, poll, Shinzo Abe, taro aso, tobias harris, tomomi inada, toshihiro nikai, yasuhisa shiozaki, Yoshihide Suga

JPP: Abe government’s approval ratings stabilize, but public still cool towards policies
March 14, 2016Author: Tobias Harris
Categories: Japan Political Pulse
New polls from NHK and the Asahi Shimbun show that the Abe government’s support remains stable despite the public’s negative attitudes regarding the government’s policies. If anything, support for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is strengthening.
Tags: Abenomics, approval rating, Asahi Shimbun, Cabinet, childcare, democratic innovation party, Democratic Party of Japan, dip, disapproval rating, DPJ, employment, house of councillors, japan political pulse, JIP, jpp, LDP, Liberal Democratic Party, merger, NHK, poll, Shinzo Abe, tobias harris, voting, wages

JPP: Cabinet approval continues to soften in latest polls
March 7, 2016Author: Tobias Harris
Categories: Japan Political Pulse
Two recent polls show that the Japanese cabinet’s approval is once again in what can be described as a “softening” cycle. New polls by the Yomiuri Shimbun and the Mainichi Shimbun both showed headline approval falling. In the case of Yomiuri, the fall was slight, 52% to 49%. Mainichi recorded a sharper fall: the cabinet’s approval fell nine points to 42% and its disapproval rose eight points to 38%.
Tags: Abenomics, approval rating, Cabinet, Collective Self-Defense, Democratic Party of Japan, disapproval rating, Futenma, Henoko, house of councillors, japan innovation party, japan political pulse, jpp, Liberal Democratic Party, Mainichi Shimbun, Okinawa, poll, Shinzo Abe, tobias harris, Yomiuri Shimbun

JPP: Government support remains stable despite doubts about economic policies
February 19, 2016Author: Tobias Harris
Categories: Japan Political Pulse
In the most recent public opinion polls, support for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet cooled off slightly after enjoying a surprising bump following the January 28 resignation of Economic Revitalization Minister Amari Akira, a close ally of the prime minister and a leading architect of Abenomics.
Tags: Abenomics, akira amari, approval, asahi shimbum, Cabinet, disapproval, japan political pulse, jpp, NHK, polls, Shinzo Abe, tobias harris, Yomiuri Shimbun