Poll shows almost 65% disapprove of raising taxes to boost Japan’s defense budget

The Japanese public stepped up pressure on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration after a Kyodo News poll on Sunday showed 64.9% of respondents disapproved of a recently announced plan to raise taxes to fund a major increase in the country’s defense spending.

Meanwhile, his cabinet’s approval rating remained at 33.1% in last month’s survey, the lowest since last year’s launch. Dissatisfaction rating was almost unchanged at 51.5%.

On Friday, Kishida announced Japan’s new security strategy to push ahead with its biggest defense program since World War II amid China’s rise and North Korea’s nuclear threats.