Takaichi Cabinet approval rating plunges to 41%; vice capital bill becomes focus at end of Diet session

The approval rating for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet has plunged to 41% in a Mainichi Shimbun opinion poll, with disapproval at 44%, marking the first time disapproval has exceeded approval. This is seen as a result of the stalling of Diet deliberations triggered by a defamatory video scandal. Meanwhile, in the Diet, where an extension of the session until the 25th has been decided, the ruling and opposition parties are in the final stages of confrontation over the fate of the vice capital plan-related bill submitted by the ruling coalition.

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Takaichi Cabinet approval rating plunges to 41%, disapproval exceeds approval In an opinion poll conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun on the 18th and 19th, the approval rating for the Takaichi Cabinet fell to 41%, down 10 points from the previous survey, dropping below 50% for the first time since its inauguration. The effects of the defamatory video scandal and the stalling of the Diet are strongly evident, and the Takaichi administration is facing a difficult situation. 1

Extended Diet session sees final showdown over vice capital bill The ruling parties are aiming to pass the vice capital plan-related bill, coordinating to start deliberations on the 22nd and hold a vote at a plenary session of the House of Councillors on the 24th. However, with the ruling parties being a minority in the upper house, passage is uncertain, and they are also considering a re-passage by a two-thirds majority in the lower house if it is rejected. Amid the confusion, there was also a situation where a senior LDP member's overseas trip was not approved due to opposition from opposition parties. 2 3 4

Defense Minister Koizumi: Nuclear deterrence debate 'cannot be avoided' Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi expressed the view that given the deterioration of Japan's security environment, discussions on nuclear deterrence, including a review of the three non-nuclear principles, are necessary. His remarks, which broach a topic long considered taboo within the government, are causing ripples. 5 6

Akie Abe: 'My husband's wishes have been entrusted to Prime Minister Takaichi' On the 19th, four years after the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, his wife Akie said at a memorial event in Nara City, 'My husband's message has been entrusted to Prime Minister Takaichi.' This statement in Prime Minister Takaichi's home district once again demonstrated the strong ties with the administration. 7

Top defense officials open X account to counter Chinese information warfare The Defense Ministry's press secretary and the Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff have opened X accounts. The aim is to quickly disseminate accurate information in response to one-sided information dissemination by China, such as its criticism of 'new militarism'. 8

Upper limit for out-of-pocket medical expenses to be raised from August In response to rising medical costs, the upper limit for out-of-pocket expenses under the high-cost medical expense system will be raised. From August, for middle-income earners, the monthly cap will be increased from about 80,000 yen to about 86,000 yen, and will be raised further in August next year, resulting in a maximum increase in burden of 38%. 9

Konohana Ward, Osaka: Mother and two daughters stabbed, teenage boy dies On the night of the 19th, a 41-year-old mother and her two daughters were cut with a knife at a housing complex in Konohana Ward, with the eldest daughter seriously injured. A teenage boy believed to be involved in the incident fell from an external staircase and died. Police are investigating the case as an attempted murder. 10