TOKYO - About 70 percent of Japanesevoters would approve of a tax hike to help massive rebuilding
after last month's earthquake and tsunami, a poll by the Nikkeibusiness daily showed on Monday, as concerns loom over Japan'sefforts to rein in its debt.Nearly 70 percent also said unpopular Prime Minister NaotoKan should be replaced, and 70 percent said the government'sresponse to the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant,crippled by the disaster, was not acceptable.
The government hopes to avoid issuing new bonds to fund aninitial emergency budget, expected to be worth about 4 trillionyen ($48 billion), due to be compiled this month.