Support for Japan PM Kishida Slips After Aide’s LGBTQ Gaffe, Poll Shows

  • Cabinet approval rating falls to 26% in Mainichi survey
  • G-7 host Japan faces mounting pressure on same-sex rights

Fumio Kishida

Photographer: Andre Malerba/Bloomberg
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Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida edged down slightly in an opinion poll by the Mainichi newspaper, after a former aide made discriminatory remarks regarding the LGBTQ community earlier this month.

The cabinet approval rating fell by 1 percentage point from the previous month to 26%, according to the nationwide survey conducted Saturday and Sunday. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said sexual minorities’ rights weren’t being protected, compared with just 15% who said they had adequate recognition.