Japan’s PM appears to doze off while winning crucial reelection vote

A casual observer could be forgiven for falling asleep while watching the Liberal Democrats maintain government control of Japan. After all, the party has ruled on its own or in coalition for almost all of the country’s post-war history.

But Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s catnap in the midst of parliamentary proceedings has raised eyebrows across the East Asian country and beyond. The most popular video on X of Ishiba resting his eyes has now been viewed almost 30 million times. 

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who was sitting next to the prime minister when he appeared to doze off, assured reporters during a press conference Monday that Ishiba had merely succumbed to the side effects of some cold medicine.

“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.”