Japanese Prime Minister Cancels NHK Appearance Due to Injury

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi canceled her scheduled appearance on an NHK political program on February 1 due to an injury, according to Japanese media outlets such as Yahoo News Japan and Kyodo News. The program was intended to feature a pre-election debate with leaders from various political parties connecting live. According to Jin10, the Liberal Democratic Party explained that Takaichi injured her arm during a street speech and is currently receiving treatment. Reports indicate that Takaichi posted on social media platform X, explaining that her hand was injured while shaking hands with supporters during recent street campaign activities. The injury was exacerbated by her rheumatoid arthritis, causing swelling in her hand. She assured that her hand has been properly bandaged and stabilized. During her absence, the Liberal Democratic Party's acting policy chief, Norihisa Tamura, attended the program in her place.