TSUKUBAMIRAI, Japan - Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida played golf Tuesday with his family in Ibaraki Prefecture near Tokyo on the first full day of his summer break.
It is the first round of golf Kishida has played since taking over the leadership in October last year, and he is expected to spend more time with his family outside of Tokyo on Wednesday, according to people close to him.
Kishida told reporters in Tsukubamirai that I'm getting refreshed after not playing golf for so long.
Kishida's break began Monday afternoon after he attended a ceremony marking the 77th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.
The prime minister's vacation comes ahead of a number of challenges he is going to face in the coming weeks, including dealing with the seventh wave of the coronaviruses and the controversial state funeral for former prime minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated last month.
With 53 percent of respondents opposing a state funeral for Abe, public opinion is divided over whether or not it is appropriate to hold a state-funded funeral for Abe.