Takaichi cabinet support rate falls to 61%
The approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet fell 2.5 percentage points from the previous survey to 61.3 percent, with 70.6 percent of respondents expressing concern about disrupted supplies of petroleum-derived naphtha, a Kyodo News poll showed Sunday.
In the two-day telephone survey conducted from Saturday, 70.5 percent of respondents said the government should ask the public to conserve energy in response to oil supply shortages amid the Middle East conflict.
The conflict has tightened supplies of naphtha, which is used to produce ethylene and other chemicals for a wide range of products, including plastics, insulation foam, adhesives, medical supplies such as syringes, and printing ink solvents.
Japanese companies such as Calbee Inc and Kagome Co were forced to sell some products in simplified packaging, while Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara on Friday called on the public not to stock up on household trash bags more than necessary.
The government has repeatedly said there will be no disruption to naphtha supplies, adding that necessary volumes have been secured, while Takaichi has said she would respond flexibly should energy-saving measures become necessary.
Asked about the recent easing of restrictions on exports of lethal weapons, 57.2 percent opposed the move, while 37.1 percent supported the new policy.
