Society

Japanese PM’s approval rating plummets after poll shows Olympic support fading

May 18 (Sky News) - The Japanese government is facing pressure over its continued commitment to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after a recent poll showed 43 per cent of the population want the Games cancelled.

The Japanese government - led by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga - has indicated it will ensure the Games are safe and secure, according to the Wall Street Journal’s Japan Editor Alastair Gale.

Mr Gale said the government faced pressure from the public, given the strong sentiments held towards the games, to “speak out” in acknowledgement of how the public felt “very uneasy”.

“They have to listen to the public but they’re not acting on it and we’ve seen the prime minister’s approval ratings come down quite sharply,” he said.

A recent poll showed approval for Prime Minister Suga’s Cabinetl has dropped 4.4 points since the last survey, down to 32.2 per cent.

Imperial Family Pays Tribute to War Victims

The Emperor, Empress, and their daughter Princess Aiko visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall in Sumida Ward on Thursday afternoon, marking their first visit to the site as Japan observes the 80th year since the end of World War II. They were greeted upon arrival by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other officials.

First Snow Caps Mount Fuji, 15 Days Earlier Than Last Year

The Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory announced on October 23rd that the season’s first snow had been observed on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters tall. Around 6 a.m., an official visually confirmed that snow had clearly accumulated near the summit.

Tokyo’s Aging Expressway Reborn After Major Overhaul

After nearly a decade of construction, the newly rebuilt Haneda Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, one of Tokyo’s key arteries linking the city center with Haneda Airport, has been unveiled to the media ahead of its official switch to a new road on October 29th.

New Cabinet Takes On 'Takaichi Color'

The newly launched Takaichi Cabinet moved into full operation on October 22nd, with early personnel decisions revealing a clear conservative tone. Satsuki Katayama was appointed as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as minister in charge of foreign resident policy, underscoring what observers are calling the emergence of a distinct “Takaichi color.”

Hokkaido Launches Mass Culling After Bird Flu Detected

Authorities in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, have begun culling approximately 460,000 laying hens after a poultry farm in the region’s Iburi area confirmed infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza, marking the first confirmed outbreak of the season in Japan.

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