Video of Prime Minister Ishiba “dozing off” goes viral; Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi denies it, dismisses health concerns

At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6, a video showing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba appearing to doze off spread widely on social media, sparking criticism. In the video, taken from a TV broadcast, Ishiba is seen with his eyes closed for about five seconds before suddenly lifting his head.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi denied that the Prime Minister was asleep, saying he was unaware of the details of Ishiba’s behavior during the ceremony but insisted there was no truth to the claims.

This isn’t the first time concerns about Ishiba’s health and alertness have come up. At a party meeting on July 28, some lawmakers also said he appeared to be asleep. Hayashi, however, said Ishiba is in good health.

Critics online have said falling asleep at a memorial event goes too far, even if some could overlook it in parliament. Ishiba was also seen possibly dozing during a Diet session in November last year, reportedly due to cold medicine. Senator Shigeharu Aoyama also recently mentioned in a YouTube video that Ishiba fell asleep during a July 28 meeting at LDP headquarters.