TOKYO (AFP) -- Support for embattled Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's cabinet has plunged to a new low of 20 percent as the resurgent opposition enjoys growing popularity, a poll showed Friday.

The Asahi Shimbun said support for the government fell from 25 percent in a previous poll published on April 21.
Opposition support rose to 28 percent from 22 percent, topping that of the ruling Liberal Democrats for the first time since Fukuda took office in September, according to the poll results based on 998 valid answers.
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) enjoyed growing popularity among women, a group that has traditionally shunned the opposition, the newspaper said.
A separate poll published by the Nikkei business daily showed support for the Fukuda government falling to 21 percent, down from 29 percent in April, with voters unhappy about healthcare and taxes.
The figure is much lower than the 26 percent support rating for the government of his predecessor Shinzo Abe after a crushing defeat in upper house elections in July, the daily said.
""The poll showed that the public is overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the way Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is handling his job,"" said the Nikkei, which received 711 valid answers. It said the DPJ had 36 percent support.
The Fukuda cabinet has struggled to gain public support amid a deadlock in parliament, with the opposition refusing to support various government initiatives.
A new medical scheme introduced in April for those aged 75 or older has drawn criticism as it will increase healthcare expenses for some people.
Japan has one of the world's most rapidly ageing populations, raising concerns about how the government will pay for rising medical costs and pension benefits.
The opposition has pledged to create a true two-party system in Japan, where the Liberal Democrats have been in power for all but 10 months over a period of more than 50 years. Both polls were conducted on Wednesday and Thursday.