Unification Church breakup order approval at 83%, Kishida Cabinet at 25%: Mainichi poll

Published October 16, 2023 By admin with Comments 0

TOKYO — Despite widespread approval of the Kishida government’s move to request the breakup of the controversial Unification Church, Cabinet support remains at a record low.

Approval for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet stayed stalled at 25% in an Oct. 14-15 Mainichi Shimbun national opinion survey, tying the record low numbers marked in a poll taken on Sept. 16-17 and first seen in December 2022. The disapproval level also remained the same as in last month’s poll at 68%.

A total of 83% said they approve of the government’s request for an order to dissolve the Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The religious group has been accused of harming more than a thousand followers and their families over a span of decades. The government’s move, however, did not appear to translate into support for the administration. Backing has remained below 30% for four consecutive months, particularly since a Cabinet reshuffle in September.

Content retrieved from: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20231016/p2a/00m/0na/005000c.