Cold medicine to blame for Japan PM's parliament nap, gov't spokesman says

TOKYO: Japan's top government spokesman said a dose of cold medicine was to blame for causing a slightly ill Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to apparently fall asleep during a parliamentary session on Monday, Kyodo News Agency reported.

At a press conference following the plenary session of the House of Representatives in which Ishiba was elected prime minister, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also dismissed speculation that the 67-year-old has fallen ill due to fatigue.

"The prime minister is extremely busy every day, working late into the night, and I've heard that he was feeling a bit under the weather and took cold medicine," Hayashi said, but he added, "My understanding is that there are no issues with his health."

After video footage showing Ishiba looking down and briefly closing his eyes while waiting for a vote count in the Diet session was posted on social media, users quickly expressed their thoughts, with remarks like, "I can't believe he's sleeping like that."

Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner lost their majority in the Oct. 27 general election, forcing the prime minister to lead a minority government that is set to face challenges in progressing key policies, including budget compilation.

-- BERNAMA