Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi admitted that she does not know why her cabinet's approval rating is falling.

"The reason [for the decline in ratings] is unknown. But we will take public opinion into account," she noted, responding to a related question from lawmakers during debates in the Budget Committee of the parliament's lower house.

Over the past few days, most of Japan's leading media outlets have published public opinion poll results showing that the approval level for the cabinet led by Takaichi dropped to a record low of 53.7%. Conversely, the disapproval rating reached a maximum for her administration's entire time in office, hitting 33.7%.

In recent months, Takaichi's approval rating has been consistently declining—a trend linked to scandalous publications by the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun. The publication claims that staffers close to Takaichi were involved in distributing defamatory video materials about her rivals during last year's leadership election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Takaichi herself has repeatedly denied these allegations.