News Navigator: What does Japan PM Kishida do on his days off?

The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s time away from work.

Question: Prime Minister Kishida appears so busy, doesn’t he? Does he ever have any days off?

Answer: The prime minister’s job is categorized as performing “public duties” as the head of the Cabinet, and “political activities” as a politician. On weekdays, Kishida is engaged in his duties at his office in Tokyo. He’s also busy on weekends and public holidays, often traveling to regional areas for inspections and campaigning for candidates running in elections.

Recently, he had the full weekend off on April 8 and 9 for the first time in roughly two months, without any public duties or political activities.

Q: What does Kishida do on his days off?

A: He often goes out to have his hair cut and receive massages. He also regularly undergoes dental cleaning and health checkups. Once you become the prime minister, you are constantly accompanied by security police, so it becomes difficult to go out casually. Perhaps spending time on his body maintenance may be refreshing for him.

In particular, Kishida goes to a barber almost once every two weeks, apparently putting a high priority on the routine. Even after an explosive device was hurled near Kishida at a fishing port in Wakayama on April 15, he didn’t fail to go get a haircut in the evening upon returning to Tokyo, just as scheduled.

Q: Why does he visit a barber so often?

A: According to his aides, Kishida has kept the routine at least since he was first elected to office in 1993. Before he assumed the premiership, he would regularly visit a familiar barber in Hiroshima, his home turf.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his predecessor Shinzo Abe apparently often had their hair cut once every month to 1 1/2 months.

Q: What other things does Kishida do for refreshing himself?

A: As he is a big fan of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp professional baseball team, he is said to enjoy watching their games on TV when time permits. He also makes it a daily routine to work out with dumbbells for muscle training and sweat on an exercise bike. Lately, he is said to often pedal the machine for around 30 minutes before going out for duties in the morning.

(Japanese original by Yusuke Kaite, Political News Department)