TOKYO, Oct 18 — The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration fell below 50 per cent to its lowest level since she took office in October last year.
Kyodo News Agency reported that in a poll conducted between yesterday and today, the approval rating for Takaichi's administration was 49.1 per cent.
The decline might have been affected by Takaichi's slow response surrounding the resignation of Kazuo Yana as the nation's farm minister.
He stepped down on Wednesday (October 14) after coming under fire for remarks about cutting road funding for municipalities that did not support Yana.
Some 57.7 per cent of respondents said Takaichi's decision to replace him came "too late,", while 81.5 per cent said it was natural for him to resign.
Takaichi appointed Yana in a Cabinet reshuffle last month, but openly chided him in Parliament for remarks about road funding, which local media first reported earlier this month.
