Japan’s Abe Visits Hospital Again Amid Speculation About Health
Shinzo Abe visited the hospital again on Monday, amid concerns of a flare-up of an ailment that once led to his resignation.
(Bloomberg) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the hospital Monday for the second time in about a week, amid concerns he could be suffering from a flare-up of an ailment that once led to his resignation.
Japanese TV broadcasters showed video of Abe, 65, arriving at Keio University Hospital in Tokyo on Monday morning, the same place he visited for several hours last Monday. After spending about three hours at the medical facility, Abe tried to calm worries about his health.
“Today, I heard the detailed results of the tests I underwent last week, and I had some follow-up tests,” Abe told reporters at his official residence, after leaving hospital. “I want to continue to work hard.”
When asked about the results of the tests, he said he planned to talk about “that kind of thing,” without specifying when.
Broadcaster Nippon TV cited multiple government and ruling party sources as saying Abe was actually undergoing treatment for his chronic ailment, rather than tests.
Top government officials have said Abe’s health is fine. “I see him every day and I’ve noticed no change,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga reiterated Monday.
Japan’s longest-serving prime minister suffers from chronic ulcerative colitis, a condition affecting the digestive tract that can be worsened by stress. He has come under severe pressure over his handling of the Covid-19 crisis, despite a relatively low death toll in Japan. His popularity has hit record lows in some polls, with critics saying his policies have been slow and ineffective.
In 2007, he resigned from an abbreviated first term in office, saying a worsening of the illness made it impossible to carry out his duties. He then came back to lead the Liberal Democratic Party to an election victory in late 2012.
Speculation over Abe’s health has returned in recent weeks, as he appeared to be avoiding extended public appearances. He returned to work last Wednesday and made a brief statement to reporters, saying he underwent tests to make sure that he is “doing everything possible to maintain my physical condition.” He didn’t explain the reason for the tests.
On Monday, Abe broke the record for most consecutive days as prime minister, surpassing the mark set by his great uncle, Eisaku Sato.
Prospects for Abe staging a graceful exit at the end of his third straight term as leader of the LDP in 2021 were wrecked by the pandemic. The disease hit an economy already strained from trade disputes and a sales tax hike that Abe finally pushed through after two delays.
Abe hasn’t held a full-length news conference since mid-June, and has rebuffed opposition calls for a new session of parliament to debate policies for controlling the coronavirus and its economic fallout.
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