Takaichi Cancels TV Debate due to Hand Injury

Tokyo, Feb. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi canceled her appearance in a television debate program Sunday morning as she injured her hand during the campaign trail for the Feb. 8 general election. In the program of Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, Takaichi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was slated to hold a debate with leaders of other parties ahead of the election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament. The LDP informed the public broadcaster Sunday morning that Takaichi would cancel her participation in the 75-minute debate program from 9 a.m. Takaichi went on a campaign trip to the Tokai central Japan region later in the day as scheduled. Takaichi posted on X, formerly Twitter, that she injured her hand during her campaign activities in the past couple of days and has been receiving treatment. “When I shook hands with a person who supports me enthusiastically, my hand was pulled hard and I hurt it,” she said, adding, “I have chronic rheumatoid arthritis, so my hand became swollen.” Takaichi said that a medical officer was urgently called to apply medication. In the X post, Takaichi also said that she would deliver speeches later Sunday to highlight a major shift in the LDP’s policies. After the end of the TV program, she left the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo and headed for Gifu and Aichi prefectures in the Tokai region. She toured a total of five locations in the two prefectures. Takaichi refrained from giving high-fives and shaking hands after her speeches. During a speech in the Gifu city of Kani, members of the audience asked Takaichi about the condition of her hand. The prime minister replied, “I’m fine as I was treated this morning.” Norihisa Tamura, executive acting chairman of the LDP’s Policy Research Council, who attended the debate program for Takaichi, explained that the prime minister hurt her hand as she is working very hard in her campaign activities, offering an apology for her failure to join the program. Opposition officials expressed dissatisfaction at Takaichi’s absence. In a speech in the city of Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, Japanese Communist Party leader Tomoko Tamura called for a debate among party heads to be held again, noting that Takaichi has said voters in the upcoming election are asked whether they trust her as the nation’s prime minister. Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya told reporters in Tokyo that he wanted Takaichi to join the TV debate despite her hand injury. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]