Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he had undergone more medical tests but declined to provide details, a week after a first hospital …
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he had undergone more medical tests but declined to provide details, a week after a first hospital visit that fuelled growing speculation about his health. Abe cut short his first term in office in part because of crippling health problems linked to ulcerative colitis, an ailment he said he had overcome when he returned to power in 2012. But in recent weeks, reports have suggested that the 65-year-old prime minister is ill again, with tabloids claiming he has been vomiting blood and even confidants publicly saying he needed rest. Abe arrived back at his office on Monday afternoon after several hours at the hospital in Tokyo, but offered little detail on his condition. “Today, I received detailed explanations about the results of the tests from last week, and I had additional tests,” he told reporters. “By taking full care of my health, I would like to continue to work hard.” He declined to be drawn further on the nature of the tests conducted last week or on Monday, but suggested he might speak publicly about them at “a later time”. Earlier, Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga downplayed speculation about Abe’s health. “I see him every day and I don’t see any change in him,” he said.
