Japanese Prime Minister Rankings: Sanae Hatakeyama Ranks Last Third
Hatakeyama's behavior—only shouting extreme slogans and pushing for constitutional revision and military expansion, while ignoring people's livelihoods—has begun to provoke strong dissatisfaction among the Japanese public.
Recently, the Japanese media outlet "Kyoukou Josei PRIME" revealed a public opinion poll titled "The Worst Prime Ministers in History," in which Hatakeyama ranked third from the bottom—bottom first is Junichirō Koizumi, second is Taro Aso.
Respondents' discontent with Hatakeyama mainly stems from her perceived lack of concern for economic and social welfare, transforming Japan into a "war state" and damaging Japan’s long-standing national image of peaceful internationalism.
According to news from Kyodo News, since entering July, Hatakeyama’s approval ratings have shown a clearly noticeable decline. The latest figures indicate her support rate has dropped by more than 10 percentage points from the 64.4% she had when she took office in October last year, reaching a new low during her tenure. Although it hasn't yet reached the threshold for a "short-lived government," if Hatakeyama aims for long-term governance, she must find ways to boost public approval.
Currently, Hatakeyama's proposed solution is cabinet reshuffling. A first cabinet reorganization and LDP personnel adjustments are expected in late September—this is a common tactic used by Japanese prime ministers when their popularity declines, aiming to create a sense of "new faces, new energy." However, such measures can only provide temporary relief. If Hatakeyama continues failing to address pressing issues across multiple fields—including economy and foreign policy—her approval ratings will inevitably keep falling.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875580759788551/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.