Mr Fumio Kishida marked the two-year milestone of his stint as Japan’s Prime Minister on Oct 4. It was not on a celebratory note. His approval ratings had dropped to the lowest of his premiership – falling to 29 per cent from 37 per cent in September in a recent Asahi newspaper poll.
On Sunday came more bad news: His party lost a long-held Upper House seat on the island of Shikoku in a by-election. Though it retained a Lower House seat in Nagasaki, the race was too close for comfort for Team Kishida as it ponders calling a snap election.
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