Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida underwent sinus surgery

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is undergoing sinus surgery at a Tokyo hospital on Saturday to treat chronic sinusitis that has been causing a blocked nose since last year.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is undergoing sinus surgery at a Tokyo hospital on Saturday to treat chronic sinusitis that has been causing a blocked nose since last year.

Kishida , dressed in a suit and accompanied by security guards and aides, was seen entering the hospital on Saturday morning.

He has had a blocked nose since last year and was diagnosed with chronic sinusitis with polyps, he told reporters on Friday. He was treated with medication but “decided to have surgery to be in perfect health,” Kishida said.

Local media have cited his stuffy nose while speaking at meetings, parliamentary sessions and news conferences, with some speculating that it was a consequence of Covid-19, which he contracted last summer.

Kishida will undergo surgery under general anesthesia, during which time Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno will temporarily assume the leadership role stipulated under Japanese Cabinet Law.

Kishida is expected to go home late Saturday and return to work Monday, though he will need to visit the hospital a few times for post-surgery tests and treatment, Matsuno said.

Kishida has dealt with a religious controversy involving his ruling party and lost public support with the resignations of ministers and top aides following political finance scandals, gaffes and discriminatory comments against sexual minorities.

Kishida took office in October 2021 and implemented drastic changes in Japan’s defense and energy policies. In December, his government adopted a new defense and defense strategy to improve Japan’s strike capability, breaking with Japan’s postwar defense-only policy.
On Friday, Kishida’s cabinet approved a policy to overhaul the post-Fukushima nuclear power plant program and maximize the use of nuclear power as green energy.