Twin Japan Disasters Present Fresh Hurdles for Troubled PM
- Earthquake and plane tragedy add to prime minister’s troubles
- Funds scandal has also dragged down cabinet’s approval ratings
The burnt wreckage of a Japan Airlines plane on the tarmac at Tokyo International Airport on Jan. 3.
Photographer: Richard A. Brooks/AFP/Getty Images
The year is off to a bad start for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, with a devastating earthquake and a deadly plane crash adding to the litany of challenges he faces at home and abroad.
Already battling a political fundraising scandal, record-low public disapproval and geopolitical risks, Kishida finds himself overseeing a protracted rescue operation following a New Year’s Day earthquake, with more than 80 dead and nearly 200 people still missing. His government is also seeking answers to a plane collision at Tokyo’s main airport Tuesday, which resulted in five deaths and a passenger jet bursting into flames.