(Update) Ishiba Cabinet Approval Nearly Flat at 28.5 Pct: Jiji Poll

   Tokyo, Feb. 13 (Jiji Press)--Public support for the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was almost unchanged in February from the previous month in the so-called danger zone below 30 pct, a Jiji Press opinion poll showed.
   The Ishiba cabinet's approval rating was up 0.3 percentage point at 28.5 pct, while its disapproval rating was down 0.2 point at 40.1 pct.
   The survey found that 58.7 pct of respondents supported a call by Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), an opposition party, for scrapping the income cap for making high school education free, vastly outnumbering the 25.6 pct who opposed it.
   Following Ishiba's first summit meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, 10.1 pct said they believe Japan-U.S. relations will improve, 23.2 pct said they believe ties will worsen and 51.3 pct said they believe there will be no change.
   When asked about the reasons for supporting the Ishiba cabinet, 11.8 pct of respondents, the largest group, said there is no one else suitable to be prime minister. Meanwhile, 8.7 pct said they trust the prime minister and 4.0 pct said that it does not matter who the prime minister is.

(2025/02/13-16:01)

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