March 18, 2025
Tokyo – Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet has a slightly higher approval rate than the “dangerous level” to achieve the operation of the government. Recently revealed Ishiba’s gift certificates are allocated to the public distrust that has been dealt with in the government’s handling of the revisions to the budget for the next fiscal year.
The rate of investment in approval has triggered a shock wave through the government and the rulers, while the opposition is strengthening its offensive.
A weak party foundation
“We will humbly accept the results and restore the efforts to trust,” Liberal Advisory Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama said on Sunday.
“There is a big objection to the distribution of gift certificates and the Prime Minister has no choice,” said Itsunori Onodera, chairman of the LDP Policy Research Committee.
Ishiba handles a review of the high-cost medical expense welfare system, which aims to reduce the burden on patients when medical expenses are too high, giving the impression of his lack of leadership and internal and external leadership. The gift certificate scandal exposed shortly afterwards dealt a further political blow to the Ishiba government.
Because Ishiba's party base is weak, he has been relying on his name recognition and popularity in the regional sector to manage his government. He had previously predicted that the image of a clean politician had nothing to do with political and money issues.
“The prime minister's support base has collapsed, and this is a very serious situation,” a senior government official said.
A former Cabinet member of Ziliya Limited expressed concern about the sharp increase in the Ishiba cabinet's disapproval rating. “[The disapproval rate of 58%] Almost twice as much [the approval rate of 31%] Shocking. Former cabinet members said approval rates may continue to decline gradually.
It's hard to fight back
Looking back at the cabinets in the past, there were many cases stagnating when their approval ratings were below 30%. Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida failed to return more than 30% in the final months, forcing Kishida to abandon his bid for re-election in the LDP presidential campaign in September 2024.
The ruling and the opposition have agreed to conclude the review of corporate and group donations by the end of this month. But the new scandal will surely create more headwinds for the least developed countries, which calls for such donations to be maintained.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture. However, it remains to be seen whether the government can launch a counterattack through such measures.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration intends to impose mutual tariffs on U.S. trading partners starting April 2. If Japan is subject to new tariffs, frustration with the Ishiba government may intensify.
Opposition ready to extinguish
The opposition party is expected to make Ishiba more responsible.
“It's obvious that the people are not satisfied,” said the Japanese Innovation Party's coeader board. “We will always be concerned about whether he will further fulfill his responsibilities and explain himself.”
“After the budget is passed for the next fiscal year, anything can happen,” said a senior freelance adviser. “The voice of Ibon's resignation may be established before the summer election.
Japan's Constitutional Democrats are trying to determine the right time to file a motion of distrust in the cabinet, but some in the party believe that “it is wise to continue criticizing it rather than criticizing it immediately, because it will be easier to fight against the House of Lords elections-duck Ishiba cabinets.”
“There is a phone number [for the prime minister] step down, but I won't ask for it very easily,” CDPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda said in a speech at Aomori on Sunday.[The LDP] Maybe want to change its leaders and fight against the House of Lords election campaign in a new image, but that's not the way to go. ”
