Newsfrom Japan

Tokyo, Aug. 16 (Jiji Press)--The approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet stood at 47.0 pct in August, up 3.9 percentage points from the previous month, a Jiji Press opinion survey showed.

The disapproval rate edged down 0.2 point to 30.8 pct, according to the survey conducted for four days through Monday.

The readings reflected apparent public support for Abe's recent decisions to tighten controls on exports to South Korea and not to appeal a landmark court ruling that ordered his government to pay damages to relatives of former leprosy patients, sources familiar with the situation said.

On Abe's tenure as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, 49.5 pct of respondents opposed a party rule revision aimed at keeping him in the post beyond the expiration of his current term in September 2021.

By contrast, 27.7 pct supported such a revision, while 22.8 pct did not take either position.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]