According to a recent poll conducted by Kyodo News, the approval rating of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has surged by 8.5 percentage points to 46.6% from the previous month. This increase in public support comes after Kishida was targeted by an explosive device during an election campaign earlier this month.
The poll, which was conducted over the weekend through telephone interviews, also revealed that Kishida's disapproval rating was at 35.5%. Interestingly, nearly 70% of those polled called for regulation on the development of artificial intelligence bots, while 63.7% expressed concern about a potential resurgence in Covid-19 infections following the government's decision to downgrade the categorization of the virus on May 8.
The increase in Kishida's approval rating is likely a result of his response to the recent attack and his efforts to address the concerns of the Japanese public regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it remains to be seen whether this surge in support will be sustained over the long term.
As Japan continues to grapple with the impact of the pandemic and faces other challenges such as population decline and an aging workforce, Kishida will need to demonstrate strong leadership and address the concerns of his constituents to maintain the trust and support of the Japanese people.