Japan Worried About Rare Nafta, Takaichi Support Drops

JAKARTA - The disruption of the supply of naphtha due to the conflict in the Middle East has begun to affect support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. A Kyodo News survey quoted on Sunday, May 17, showed that the majority of citizens were anxious, while support for his cabinet fell by 2.5 percentage points to 61.3 percent.

The survey released Sunday recorded 70.6 percent of respondents were concerned about disruptions in the supply of naphtha. This petroleum derivative is used to produce ethylene and various other chemicals.

Nafta is used in many everyday products, from plastics, adhesives, insulation foam, medical devices such as syringes, to printing ink solvents.

In a two-day telephone survey since Saturday, 70.5 percent of respondents believed that the government needed to ask residents to save energy amid a shortage of oil supplies due to the conflict in the Middle East.

For Japan, this issue is sensitive. The industrial country is highly dependent on energy and raw material imports. When supplies are disrupted, the impact is quickly felt on the production sector and household needs.

As reported by Kyodo News, a number of companies have begun to make adjustments. Calbee Inc. and Kagome Co. sell some products with simpler packaging. Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara on Friday also asked residents not to stockpile household garbage bags excessively.

The Japanese government has repeatedly stated that the supply of naphtha remains secure and the required volume has been secured. Takaichi said the government would be flexible if energy-saving measures were needed.

However, the results of the Kyodo survey show that the public is not yet completely calm. Concerns about energy supplies are now testing trust in the government.

The survey also noted the public's rejection of easing the export of lethal weapons. As many as 57.2 percent of respondents rejected the policy, while 37.1 percent supported it.

The Japanese government last month eased rules on the export of lethal weapons to strengthen the national defense industry and improve the capabilities of like-minded partner countries.

In the economic sector, 28.1 percent of respondents supported the abolition of consumption tax on food for two years, as proposed by the coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japanese Innovation Party to address inflation. However, 32.4 percent assessed that tax cuts were not necessary.

The issue of the imperial family is also a public concern. As many as 73.9 percent of respondents support women members of the imperial family to retain their imperial status after marriage. Currently, they must leave the imperial family if they marry commoners.

A total of 43.7 percent of respondents agreed to the proposal to adopt men from the old imperial family branch into the main imperial family. Meanwhile, 83 percent support women being allowed to become Japanese emperors.

Support for the LDP, Takaichi's party, fell from 40.3 percent to 36.2 percent. Support for the Democratic Party for the People rose to 6.9 percent from the previous 6.1 percent.

Support for the Japan Innovation Party, the LDP's junior coalition partner, rose slightly from 6.5 percent to 6.7 percent. A total of 20.2 percent of respondents said they did not support any political party.

The Kyodo survey was conducted by contacting 509 selected households that have valid voters and 3,410 mobile phone numbers. Responses were obtained from 424 household members and 621 mobile phone users.