Abe can do without more trouble coming his way

At a press conference on June 19, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took the blame for the recent plunge in his government's popularity. Latest opinion polls show the Japanese government's approval ratings have nosedived.

The left-leaning newspaper Mainichi Shimbun said the Abe administration's popularity has fallen by 10 points to 36 percent, the biggest drop since he took office in December 2012. The conservative Yomiuri Shimbun survey also showed that support for the Abe administration has dropped by 12 points from the previous month to 49 percent.

The Japanese government has dragged its feet on several scandals that have dogged Abe, his wife Akie and his Cabinet ministers for months.