TOKYO, Dec. 13 — They were supposed to be exercises in grass-roots democracy, events during which Japan’s political leaders met and talked with voters more accustomed to a political system in which decisions were simply handed down.

The government even baptized them “town meetings,” or “TM,” using English to suggest perhaps that they were something so new, so revolutionary, that their essence could hardly be captured in Japanese.

But a government report released Wednesday concluded that two-thirds of the town meetings organized by the Japanese government since 2001 were Soviet-style performances with people paid to ask planted questions — favorable to the government.

The report was the latest blow for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose approval ratings have plummeted to below 50 percent because he has backed off on political and economic changes undertaken by his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi. The town meetings took place during Mr. Koizumi’s administration, but Mr. Abe had been in charge of the meetings as chief cabinet secretary.

In total, 65 people were paid $43 each to ask questions, according to the report, which was commissioned after earlier revelations about planted questions.

The prearranged questions raised concerns that “public opinion was being misled in order to instill government policy,” the report said.