Takaichi cabinet approval falls below 50 percent in Japan poll

Approval for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's conservative government fell below 50 percent for the first time since she came to power in October, according to a Jiji Press poll published Thursday.

The survey put support for Takaichi's cabinet at 49 percent. The sharpest fall was among voters in their 60s, whose support dropped from 63.7 percent last month to 39.9 percent.

Supporters continued to cite the leadership and trustworthiness of Takaichi, Japan's first woman prime minister. The main reasons given for disapproval included that respondents could not hope for much from the government and that it had poor policies.

Takaichi strengthened her position in February with a large victory in lower house snap elections. The source said her popularity among young voters was helped in part by perceptions of her diplomatic ability, relatability and the change she represented.

Her suggestion in November that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on self-ruled Taiwan has affected Japan's ties with China, which sees Taiwan as its territory. Earlier this month, nearly 150 Japanese academics petitioned lawmakers over her support for a bill that would criminalise desecration of Japan's national flag.

The source said Takaichi had also been helped by a slowdown in inflation in recent months, after sharp price rises contributed to the fall of her two predecessors in quick succession.