TOKYO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The support rate for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet dropped to 38 percent, a 3-point decline from the previous month, results from an NHK opinion poll showed Monday.
Disapproval rate rose by 1 point to match 38 percent, according to the poll conducted from Dec. 6 to Dec. 8, which received responses from 1,224 participants.
The poll revealed that trust in Ishiba's character (33 percent) was the most common reason for support, followed by perceptions that the cabinet is better than alternatives (30 percent).
Among those disapproving, 34 percent cited a lack of confidence in policies, 24 percent pointed to insufficient execution, and 13 percent mistrusted Ishiba's character.
The poll also gauged public sentiment on the government's latest economic measures, including electricity and gas subsidies and cash payments for low-income households. While 9 percent expressed high expectations, 35 percent had moderate expectations, 37 percent had little expectations, and 16 percent had no expectations. ■
