The popularity rating of the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has fallen below 50 percent for the first time since he took office.

According to a phone survey conducted by Kyodo News, the support rating of Noda’s Cabinet dropped to 47-point-one percent this month, down from 54-point-six percent in October. The prime minister's Cabinet was enjoying an approval rating of 62-point-eight percent upon its launch on September second.

The survey shows that supporters and opponents are almost equally divided on the Japanese government’s drive to join the U.S.-led multilateral free trade agreement called the “Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership.”

Thirty-eight-point-seven percent of respondents are in favor of Japan joining the multilateral agreement, while 36-point-one percent stand against it.

Also, 50-point-four percent of those surveyed were in favor of the government’s plan to raise the consumption tax with 48-point-one percent in opposition.