No relief for Japan's Kishida as public support plummets

Kishida's pledges of "leading by listening" have given way to reports that he no longer heeds the advice of those around him, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno. Kishida lacks two critical support structures. The first is a "watchdog" to protect him and lay policy groundwork - the role that former prime minister Yoshihide Suga played for Abe. The second is Kishida's lack of a strong protective supporter, particularly since the death of Abe, whom Kishida relied on as a sounding board, adviser and internal party influencer. The result is a dysfunctional prime minister's office and an administration under pressure…