“Mr. Ishiba worked until late” the previous night, Hayashi said, and woke up with a cold for which he took some medicine. Aside from the minor bug, the prime minister “has no problems” with his health, Hayashi added.
Ishiba was elected to preside over the governing Liberal Democratic Party on Oct. 1, but later that month suffered significant parliamentary losses in a snap election he himself had called.
Monday night’s runoff vote in an extraordinary session of parliament delivered the embattled prime minister a minority government.
“Today, I once again have been given the honor of bearing the heavy responsibilities of prime minister of Japan,” he said in a statement.
“I will vigorously advance key initiatives, including diplomacy that considers Japan’s realistic national interests, a fundamental strengthening of defense capabilities, the realization of a growth-oriented economy led by wage increases and investments, the restart of regional revitalization, and the establishment of a disaster-resilient nation that prioritizes human life.”
