The approval rating for the Japanese government under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has fallen to its lowest level since she took office, as living costs and inflation weigh on public confidence. A Yomiuri Shimbun survey conducted from July 24 to 26 shows the approval rating dropped to 57 percent from 69 percent in June, marking the first time it has fallen below 60 percent. The disapproval rate rose to 34 percent from 21 percent in the previous poll. Seventy-one percent of respondents are dissatisfied with the government's measures to tackle rising living costs, up from 56 percent in the previous survey. Pressure from financial markets and opposition from members of her own ruling party have also forced the government to delay a decision on whether and when to cut the 8 percent sales tax on food items, a pledge Takaichi had previously made. Kyodo News reports that the prime minister may reshuffle her cabinet in August or September. Kenji Yamamoto, chief market economist at Daiwa Securities, views that while the approval rating has declined, it remains high compared with previous governments, and Takaichi's political power base has not been shaken. However, the political capital she gained from the lower house election victory is gradually eroding.