TOKYO — Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi underwent a medical checkup at a Tokyo hospital on Monday that lasted more than six hours, her first such visit in six months, following a hand injury that had aggravated her rheumatoid arthritis.
Her previous hospital visit came shortly after the February general election, during which she said she had injured her right hand while shaking hands with supporters at a campaign event.
The latest checkup comes as the 65-year-old prime minister is widely expected to reshuffle her cabinet and reconstitute her ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s executive team ahead of an extraordinary Diet session likely to be convened in the fall.
Takaichi, known for her demanding work ethic, has yet to take a summer break this year, in contrast to several of her predecessors, who typically took time off during the Bon holidays around mid-August.
Earlier this month, she was occupied with responding to a powerful earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, as well as addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first-ever visit to a disputed island chain off Hokkaido, among other pressing issues.