Support Ratings Slip for Takaichi Sanae in May 2026

Lowest Numbers Yet for Takaichi Administration

Japan’s eight leading media organizations have released their opinion poll numbers for May 2026, and they are less than positive for Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae. In April, her approval ratings slipped in five surveys while climbing in three; in May, though, the negative trend was far clearer.

The Asahi Shimbun poll showed the greatest drop in approval, falling 4 percentage points to 60%. Her support fell by 3 points in the Mainichi Shimbun poll, to 50%, giving her the lowest number to date in that survey for the second month running. The Nikkei poll, meanwhile, marked her at 66% approval, down 3 points from April.

Other surveys had Takaichi’s numbers holding more or less steady. The NHK poll found a minimal 0.5 point drop to 60.7%, and the Jiji Press poll pegged her approval at 59.4%, down just 0.3 points from April.

In all, five surveys—from Kyōdō News, Asahi, Yomiuri Shimbun, Mainichi, and Nikkei—turned up approval ratings in May that were the lowest Takaichi has seen during her time in office. This said, the Nikkei also reported that the prime minister’s approval had remained above the 60% mark for eight straight months since she won the post, a feat that has not been seen since the newspaper adopted its current polling techniques in 2002.

Support Still Strong, But Decelerating?

Prime Minister Takaichi’s approval ratings remain undeniably high in May 2026. The gradual trend toward lower numbers for her, though, appears to be spreading; while the Mainichi survey found no meaningful change in her disapproval rating, the other seven polls marked a climb in this metric for her administration.

The Nikkei poll asked respondents for reasons behind their support for Takaichi. The top responses were “her trustworthy character” and “her leadership,” each selected by 33% of respondents. The Jiji poll, meanwhile, found “her leadership” to be the top choice, picked by 30.5% of respondents, offering the analysis that the strong support for her administration is underpinned by positive personal views of her.

Public Hopes for Action on the Economy

Japan’s premier may enjoy strong support at home, but she faces tall challenges on the global front. Concerns about prices and livelihoods are on the rise in respondent comments for all surveys. The Mainichi reporting on its poll, which has seen Takaichi’s approval rating drop for three straight months, noted an uptick in public sentiment demanding action on problems like the naphtha shortage and the question of whether to reduce the consumption tax on food products. The Sankei Shimbun survey found a majority of 58.7% of respondents “unsatisfied” or “somewhat unsatisfied” with the Takaichi administration’s policies to tackle rising consumer prices, and also noted troublingly low percentages of wage earners feeling that their gross paychecks were on the rise (26.1%) or that their take-home pay had increased (just 21.0%).

(Originally published in Japanese on June 5, 2026. Banner photo: Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, at center, appears on May 25 at the Kantei in Tokyo with tourism promotion ambassadors from Itako, Ibaraki, and Sawara, Chiba. © Jiji.)