Frozen Meals, Two Hours of Sleep... "I Wish I Could Get More Rest": The Prime Minister's Plea Amid Grocery Store Inaccessibility

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is personally caring for her ailing husband, has spoken about her lack of sleep.

According to reports by Japan's Kyodo News and others on the 23rd, Prime Minister Takaichi mentioned during a meeting at her official residence with Akira Amari, the former Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, that she wishes she could get more sleep.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shows her taped finger while campaigning in Gifu Prefecture on February 1. Photo by Yonhap News

원본보기 아이콘

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is reportedly handling not only parliamentary duties and current issues such as the Middle East situation, but also personally caring for her husband, former lawmaker Taku Yamamoto, at the official residence. Former lawmaker Yamamoto suffered a stroke in February last year, and Prime Minister Takaichi has taken full responsibility for her husband's rehabilitation and care.

Previously, Prime Minister Takaichi made headlines when she revealed that she gets only the minimum amount of sleep due to caregiving and housework. During a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in November last year, she stated that her sleep duration is "generally from 2 to, at most, 4 hours."

At a Budget Committee meeting in the House of Councillors on the 7th, she commented on her life at the official residence, saying, "My sleep time is relatively short because housework takes up so much time," and, "I try to bring as much work home as possible and handle it there."

Since moving into the official residence, Prime Minister Takaichi has mentioned that she is unable to go out for groceries, remarking, "If we run out of frozen food, that's the end."

Prime Minister Takaichi suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, and people around her have expressed concerns about her health.

However, former Secretary-General Amari stated that Prime Minister Takaichi "appeared healthy." A close aide to the Prime Minister also said, "While there are times when rheumatoid symptoms appear, she is not significantly different from usual."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Takaichi is known to prefer spending time on policy research alone, rather than having lunch or dinner meetings with political or business figures. Some interpret this work style-which focuses more on paperwork than face-to-face interaction-as an inevitable result of her lack of spare time, as she directly handles both housework and her husband's care.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.