
Abe’s poll numbers slide with the Moritomo Gakuen scandal
March 22, 2017Author: Tobias Harris
Categories: Japan Political Pulse
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s approval ratings in the latest Yomiuri Shimbun poll have fallen suddenly by ten percent in the midst of a scandal that has dominated headlines and parliamentary debate.
Tags: Abe, abe akie, abe shinzo, Akie Abe, approval rating, asahi, japan political pulse, jiji, jpp, kyodo, LDP, Liberal Democratic Party, Mainichi, moritomo gakuen, NHK, opinion poll, poll, Prime Minister, scandal, Shinzo Abe, yasunori kagoike, Yomiuri Shimbun

First polls after Trump’s victory show uneasy Japanese public
November 15, 2016Author: Tobias Harris
Categories: Japan Political Pulse
As the Japanese government scrambles to react to Donald Trump’s upset victory in the November 8 United States presidential election—and with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expected to be the first world leader to meet with Trump this Thursday, November 17—new opinion polls suggest the Japanese public is uneasy about the impact of the election on the U.S.-Japan relationship.
Tags: approval ratings, Asahi Shimbun, budget, donald trump, Japan, japan political pulse, Japanese, jpp, military, NHK, opinion poll, Politics, poll, president trump, Shinzo Abe, Tokyo, trump, us elections, US Forces, us forces in japan, us-japan alliance, us-japan relations, Yomiuri Shimbun

JPP: Opposition parties aim for independent voters as campaign season officially begins
June 22, 2016Author: Tobias Harris
Categories: Japan Political Pulse
The last round of polling before the campaign for Japan’s July 10 House of Councillors (HOC) elections officially began today shows that the Abe administration and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) continue to hold a commanding lead that could position them for a significant, if not overwhelming victory. But a number of independents are still undecided, and dissatisfaction with the Abe administration’s economic policies continues to run high, suggesting that there is room for the Democratic Party (DP) to gain at the government’s expense.
Tags: Abe, Abenomics, aggregation, approval rating, Asahi Shimbun, coalintion, democratic party, disapproval rating, dp, government, house of councillors, japan political pulse, japanese communist party, jcp, jiji press, jpp, Komeito, LDP, Liberal Democratic Party, NHK, opinion, opinion poll, people's life party, plp, Politics, poll, polls, sdp, Shinzo Abe, social democratic party, tobias harris, Yomiuri Shimbun

Third Annual Security Forum: Concerns about presidential candidates draw media reports
May 10, 2016Categories: In the News, Sasakawa USA Blog
Sasakawa USA’s Annual Security Forum last week gained the attention of many American and international media outlets after speakers raised criticisms of prospective U.S. nominees for president. Japan’s former defense minister Satoshi Morimoto, Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae, and senior Japanese Minister Shigeru Ishiba (pictured at right) all took stances against disparaging remarks made by candidate Donald Trump,
Tags: Asahi Shimbun, bernie sanders, China, donald trump, economic, hillary clinton, in the news, inside us trade, Japan, jiji press, kenichiro sasae, kyodo news, navy times, news, reuters, sankei shimbun, satoshi morimoto, scott swift, security forum, shigeru ishiba, soha news, the japan news, third annual security forum, TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership, us-japan alliance, Vietnam, voice of america, Yomiuri Shimbun

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