What keeps Takaichi defying political gravity?

A woman walks past a screen showing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaking at a Lower House session in Tokyo on Oct. 14. | AFP-JIJI

Nov 5, 2026

As Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi begins her second year in office, voters have plenty of reasons to be dissatisfied with the job she’s done so far. Living costs remain high, relations with China are strained and her flagship consumption tax cut on food has yet to take effect.

Yet while Takaichi’s initial approval ratings have fallen over the past year, they have still stayed higher than her predecessors at the same time in their administrations.

Of 1,024 people who responded to a JNN survey on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 64.9% approved of the Cabinet, up 1.9 percentage points from its previous poll. Late October polls by the Nikkei and Mainichi Shimbun put approval at 62% and 45%, respectively, both unchanged from September.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

SUBSCRIBE NOW