Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga’s popularity slides despite Tokyo Olympics success amid COVID

Japanese athletes bagged a record number of gold medals in the Tokyo Olympics but chances of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s popularity to increase is highly unlikely as the country is headed for the general election in November, according to the newspaper Japan Times. Suga’s approval ratings have slumped drastically over the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the current onslaught of cases in Japan driven by the hypervirulent delta variant to the worst levels yet, it is being speculated that the support for Suga’s government might not improve.

Japan has had a slow vaccination rate with less than one-third of the population fully immunized. A survey by the local Yomiuri newspaper done between August 7-9 found that the approval ratings for his cabinet slumped to 35%, the lowest since he assumed office in September. Broadcaster JNN polls put his rating at 32.6%, an assumed “too low” ratings for a Japanese leader. There has also been an increased criticism over Suga’s decision to hold the Olympics in midst of the pandemic, as many had feared that the games will turn into a super-spreader event. More than 60% of Japanese citizens disapproved of Suga’s handling of the Coronavirus, according to the JNN survey. 

Olympics ‘not behind country’s COVID-19 spike,’ argues PM

Even as Tokyo continued to register a record number of Coronavirus cases, PM Suga told the press earlier last week that the Olympics were not the reason for the massive spike. His remarks came as daily cases in Japan crossed the 10,000 mark. While legislators and government critics blamed the Tokyo Olympics for the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, PM Suga, however, rejected any connection between the Olympic games and the increasing number of infections. Suga's remarks follow the government's declaration of a state of emergency across four more prefectures, namely Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Osaka.

“It's [Olympics] so far had little or no impact,” Suga told Japanese reporters, adding that the rapid surge in cases “can be attributed to an increased movement of people due to a four-day holiday weekend, the Olympics and Paralympics, and summer vacations.  “We must keep in mind that the number will increase. It is time to introduce tighter restrictions,” Japanese PM said.