Japan PM Takaichi’s approval rating slides as inflation bites, Yomiuri poll shows

TOKYO – The approval rating of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration slumped in July to the lowest level since she took office in 2025, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on July 26, a sign that rising living costs were hitting her popularity.In a poll conducted between July 24 and 26, the approval rating for Takaichi’s administration fell to 57 per cent, down from 69 per cent in June and the first time it has dropped below 60 per cent since she took office, Yomiuri said.The percentage that disapproved of her administration rose to 34 per cent from 21 per cent in June, the newspaper said.Those polled who disapproved of her administration’s efforts to combat the rising costs of living rose to 71 per cent, up from 56 per cent, it said. REUTERS