Support for Hostage Crisis Response

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has faced some criticism over the recent crisis involving Islamic State and two Japanese hostages. But a new NHK poll suggests a little more than half of voters approve of how he dealt with the situation.

NHK conducted a telephone survey over the weekend. More than 970 people took part in the poll.

54 percent said they supported Abe's Cabinet, up 4 percentage points from our January poll. 29 percent said they didn't.

We asked respondents to weigh in on how the Abe administration handled the hostage crisis. 51 percent approved, while 42 percent did not.

On Abe's pledge to continue sending humanitarian aid to the Middle East, 65 percent of respondents approved. 29 percent said they were against it.