Japan's first female PM Takaichi Sanae scores 82pc approval rating, dubbed 'Naniwa Auntie' for informal diplomacy

Japan's first female prime minister Takaichi Sanae has achieved an 82 percent approval rating in her first weeks in office, marking the second-highest support rate for any Japanese cabinet since 2001.

According to a Japan News Network survey conducted on November 1-2, Takaichi's cabinet trails only the 88 percent rating of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's administration. The rating represents a 38.3 percentage point increase from her predecessor Shigeru Ishiba's government.

The prime minister's informal diplomatic style, characterized by her Kansai-region openness, has earned her the online nickname "Naniwa Auntie." During recent international summits, she was photographed sliding her chair closer to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and putting her arm around Chilean President Gabriel Boric's shoulder during conversations.

The survey showed 83 percent of respondents approved of her diplomatic approach, while 58 percent believed the economy would improve under her leadership. Her policy to increase defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2027 received 56 percent public support.

Takaichi, who represents Nara prefecture and graduated from Kobe University, has also revealed contact with North Korea regarding potential talks with Kim Jong Un about Japanese abduction cases.