Speculation about the health of Japan’s prime minister is rampant

FOR ABE SHINZO August 24th was supposed to be a celebration. It was his 2,799th straight day as Japan’s prime minister, making him the longest-serving in the country’s history, surpassing a record set by his great-uncle, Sato Eisaku. Instead, Mr Abe spent the afternoon at Keio University Hospital in Tokyo undergoing medical checks and denying reports that he was about to step down.

Ill health has long dogged Mr Abe. His first stint as prime minister came to an abrupt end in 2007, after a turbulent year marred by, among other things, a flare-up of ulcerative colitis, a chronic intestinal disease. A new drug has helped Mr Abe manage the symptoms since he took up the job again in 2012. Yet as he has receded from public view in recent months, rumours about his health have proliferated. Japanese media have taken to analysing footage of his gait to see if it has slowed. It now takes him 21 seconds to walk down the corridor outside his office, compared with 18 seconds in April, reports TBS, a television station. The visit to the hospital on the 24th was his second in as many weeks. On August 28th Mr Abe plans a press conference to clarify the state of his health.

Aides admit that the stress of leading the country through the pandemic has taken a toll on Mr Abe, but they balk at the idea that he is too ill to carry on. His...