Abstract
The global coronavirus pandemic started in the beginning of 2020. Although almost two years have passed since then, we are yet to see the end of it. As of November 2021, “when the sixth wave will hit and to what extent it will spread” continued to be a major concern for both the majority of the Japanese public as well as the Diet and central and local governments, whose responsibility is to protect the people.
This article overviews the changes in public attitudes towards politics, focusing on the two years (January 2020 to November 2021) during which three Prime Ministers, Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio led the fight against coronavirus. Among various aspects of political attitudes, government approval ratings most vividly show us whether changes are occurring. Combining these ratings and the responses to questions regarding government's anti-pandemic measures on NHK's monthly public opinion survey over the past nearly two years, we can see a clear picture of “swaying attitudes towards politics.”
On the one hand, the sway—the roller coaster ride of public attitudes towards politics—can be regarded as a sign of soundness, but on the other hand, it highlights the insufficient political and administrative preparedness, which led to a series of haphazard handling of situation. The author believes this reality is an important lesson for the future.
