"Postponed Regular Checkups": Takaichi Seen With Bandaged Hand...What Happened?

Japanese Prime Minister Suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis
Inflammation, Swelling and Other Symptoms in the Joints

As Takaichi Sanae was re-elected as Japan's 105th prime minister on the 18th (local time), some local media outlets focused on the rheumatoid arthritis she is suffering from. Prime Minister Takaichi had previously appeared on the campaign trail for the House of Representatives (Japan's lower house) election with a bandage wrapped around her wrist due to pain.

According to reports from Japanese media such as the Asahi Shimbun on the same day, Prime Minister Takaichi is battling rheumatoid arthritis. She canceled a scheduled appearance on NHK to treat pain in her arm area, and during the election campaign she carried out her schedule wearing a brace on her right wrist.

At a campaign rally of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party held in Tokyo on the 7th, she also appeared with a bandage wrapped around her finger. She even held the microphone herself while all five fingers of her right hand were bandaged.

Sanae Takaichi, Japan's prime minister, appeared on July 7 (local time) at a campaign rally in Tokyo for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's House of Representatives election with a bandage wrapped around her finger. AFP, Yonhap News Agency

Matters came to a head on the 13th, when she was rushed to a hospital for emergency treatment. The following day, Prime Minister Takaichi posted on her social media (SNS) account, explaining, "I am told that I will be fine if the inflammation and pain are brought under control," and adding, "Because every single move I make is reported, I have been postponing regular checkups as I do not want to cause trouble for the hospital."

According to local media, Prime Minister Takaichi has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for a long time. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease in which inflammation develops in multiple joints, including the hands, wrists, feet, and ankles. Its exact cause has not been identified, but medical researchers suspect it is related to the human immune system.

In particular, rheumatoid arthritis is known to occur more easily in people who are genetically vulnerable to bacterial and viral infections and to physical and psychological stress. It is also common among women in their 30s and 40s. Prime Minister Takaichi was born in 1961 and is 65 years old this year.

The initial symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is stiffness in the finger joints. Pain in the joints can make it impossible to use the hands, and the affected joints may swell or feel warm. If treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is delayed, in severe cases the inflammation can spread to major organs such as the lungs, heart, and blood vessels, leading to various complications.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Takaichi won 356 out of a total of 464 votes in the House of Representatives vote to designate the prime minister on the 18th, securing another term in office. All 316 lawmakers of the Liberal Democratic Party and all 36 lawmakers of the coalition partner Japan Innovation Party voted for Prime Minister Takaichi. She took office as Japan's 104th prime minister in October last year, and on January 23 she took a gamble by calling a snap general election, achieving a landslide victory by securing more than two-thirds of the seats.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.