Only 1 In 5 Japanese Happy With 100,000 Yen Handout Plan

Only one in five Japanese are satisfied with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's plan to give every household 100,000 yen ($880) in cash and vouchers for each child aged 18 or under as part of stimulus measures to shore up the coronavirus-hit economy, according to a Kyodo News survey conducted this week.

Photo Insert: The survey results suggest that the stimulus measures, set to be finalized next week, may not significantly boost Kishida's popularity.

Asked what they think of the move, 19.3 percent of respondents in the two-day nationwide telephone survey said it is "appropriate," while 24.0 percent called for across-the-board handouts.

Another 34.7 percent said the annual income limit to be eligible for the 100,000 yen -- below 9.6 million yen by a household's primary breadwinner -- should be lower, while 19.8 percent said there was no need for any handouts at all.

The survey results suggest that the stimulus measures, set to be finalized next week, may not significantly boost Kishida's popularity.

Meanwhile, the approval rating for his Cabinet, formed on Oct. 4 and relaunched on Wednesday, stood at 60.5 percent, up 2.4 points from the previous survey conducted immediately following the ruling coalition's victory in the Oct. 31 general election. The disapproval rating stood at 23.0 percent, down 3.8 points.

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