An NHK opinion poll shows that the approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's Cabinet has dropped by three points from last month to 43 percent. The disapproval rate has increased by six points to 37 percent.

NHK conducted the telephone survey over the weekend, reaching out to 2,486 randomly chosen people aged 18 or older, with 1,208 responding.

Among those who approve of the Cabinet, 40 percent said it seems preferable to possible alternatives, while 27 percent said it is made up of political parties they support.

Twelve percent expressed trust in Kishida's character.

Among those who disapprove, 45 percent said they have low expectations for the Cabinet's policies.
Twenty percent stated a lack of trust in the prime minister's character, while 16 percent said the Cabinet lacks the ability to implement policies.

The survey also asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presence at the Group of Seven summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima last month.

Twenty-six percent said they highly appreciate his participation, while 49 percent said they appreciate it to some degree.

Thirteen percent gave lower marks, while five percent said they didn't appreciate it at all.

When asked whether the summit would provide momentum toward the realization of a world free of nuclear weapons, four percent said they have high hopes for a significant boost.

Twenty-nine percent expressed a certain level of expectation.

Forty-three percent said they don't have much hope, while 18 percent said they don't expect any momentum at all.