Tokyo, Jan 27 (IANS): Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet approval rating remains at 35.7 per cent, slightly down from 36.5 per cent last month, while disapproval rose to 49.2 per cent, according to a Kyodo News survey.

Economic concerns dominated, with 84.3 per cent of respondents expressing worry over the potential impact of US President Donald Trump's planned tariffs on Japan's economy, particularly its auto industry.

The survey also found that 59.4 per cent of respondents support allowing married couples to have different surnames.

Regarding political party support, 26 per cent back the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for proportional representation in the upcoming upper house election, with overall support for the LDP at 29.6 per cent.

The survey, conducted over the weekend, collected responses from 429 household members and 635 mobile phone users, Xinhua news agency reported.

Results from another opinion poll, done by NHK last month, had highlighted that the support rate for Japanese Prime Minister's cabinet dropped to 38 per cent, a three-point decline from the previous month.

Disapproval rate rose by one point to match 38 per cent in December 2024, according to the poll conducted from December 6 to December 8, which received responses from 1,224 participants.

The poll revealed that trust in Ishiba's character (33 per cent) was the most common reason for support, followed by perceptions that the cabinet is better than alternatives (30 per cent).

Among those disapproving, 34 per cent cited a lack of confidence in policies, 24 per cent pointed to insufficient execution, and 13 per cent 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 nine per cent expressed high expectations, 35 per cent had moderate expectations, 37 per cent had little expectations, and 16 per cent had no expectations.