Japan PM Takaichi’s health draws concerns ahead of Trump meeting
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Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is set to travel to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump.
PHOTO: REUTERS
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi returned to her official duties on March 13, a day after she cancelled some engagements because she was feeling unwell.
She was advised to rest by doctors after developing cold-like symptoms, ultimately skipping some meetings with local Middle Eastern ambassadors on March 12, according to local media. A video showing her looking visibly exhausted after a Budget committee session held that day garnered attention online.
“Yesterday, the prime minister suspected she had a cold, so she was examined by a medical officer and rested at her official residence as a precaution,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference on March 13.
“I understand she has already recovered and will be carrying out her official duties as scheduled today.”
The reports come less than a week before Ms Takaichi is set to travel to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump, where the usual show of strong ties and a solid Japan-US partnership could be overshadowed by developments in Iran.
The Japanese premier has cultivated a reputation for working so tirelessly that she’s been criticised for forcing aides to attend meetings in the pre-dawn hours of the night.
Even as Japan has sought in recent years to reduce its famously long working hours, Ms Takaichi has promised to “work, work, work, work and work”, an attitude that may have contributed to her success in leading her Liberal Democratic Party to its biggest election triumph in history in February.
Local media including the Yomiuri and Mainichi newspapers quoted an unnamed government official as saying that although Ms Takaichi had been coughing more in recent days, it was a minor cold and she would be fine.
The clip of Ms Takaichi following the Budget committee on March 12 showed her seated for a while after the session had closed. In the video, a number of Cabinet members and officials walk over to her out of concern.
Ms Takaichi had a Cabinet meeting in the morning but has no other official engagements on March 13. Bloomberg
