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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba missed a group photo session at the APEC summit in Peru's capital of Lima, with the top government spokesman saying Monday that he was delayed in a traffic jam on his way back from visiting a grave.
The session Saturday proceeded without Ishiba, with leaders such as U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in attendance. While Xi was positioned near the center at the front, Biden, who will step down in January, stood toward the back.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference, "As the photo session was held at the end of the meeting, the absence did not affect the relationship-building process with the other leaders."
Ishiba, who became prime minister in early October, "delivered his messages and demonstrated his presence firmly during the two-day gathering" of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, Hayashi added.
He said Ishiba was caught in heavy traffic caused by an accident while returning to the summit venue after laying flowers at the grave of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori in the suburbs of Lima.
Fujimori, the first head of state of Japanese descent in the South American country, died at the age of 86 in September.
© KYODO
17 Comments
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deanzaZZR
I have no words ...
kurisupisu
.*
* What is the current prime minister of Japan doing laying flowers at the grave of a convicted criminal?The purpose of visiting Peru was to attend an APEC Summit not to embark on private errands!
Is this how Japanese taxpayers money is used?
Totally unconscionable!
Ricky Kaminski13
You’ve got to be jesting. Ishibasan tanomuyo!
Gorramcowboy
Probably dozed off and wasn't able to leave earlier.
Mike_Oxlong
Just a taste of the string of international embarrassments to come.
finally rich
They should have told him "You're not in your country, this is Pe-ru! iiwake iun janee yo!"
Ishiba would understand as this is a common saying in his home country.
Peter Neil
maybe it was karma. he would have stayed away from any association with controversial dictator and embezzler fujumori..
The Nomad
Fujimori was a dictator, a head of state should not visit his grave and lay flowers
piskian
Falling asleep during parliament in your own country,par for the course.
Missing an important global event due to paying respects to a renowned dictator and mass murderer illegally harboured by Japan?
Priceless.
Meiyouwenti
I suspect the sad truth is that Ishiba was already so irrelevant that no one cared !or noticed he wasn’t present.
u_s__reamer
Flowers for a felon, a ruthless killer and all. Shameless and despicable hypocrisy.
quercetum
He didn't want to be stuck in the back row like Biden was in the corner. When was the last time a sitting US President was in the back row hidden insignificantly in the corner?
sakurasuki
It just shows that the world can go forward without Japan.
Other leaders from free world would stay away from Alberto Fujimori, a human right violator that run his own death squad that killed dozens of people.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/09/11/alberto-fujimori-peru-president-dead-obit/
https://www.amnesty.org/es/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/amr460072005en.pdf
DanteKH
Wait, what?!? He managed to embarrass himself and Japan twice in 1 day.
Once by laying flowers to an ex dictator, criminal and murderer, and 2nd, for not having enough spare time to meet the other representative for a photo session. This is so embarrassing on so many levels.
How come Japan always manage to cry and pay respects to genocidal maniac and murderer, either if is in Japan or abroad?!
And the irony is that, the most punctuality known country in the world, was the only one who was late to the summit.
I am very curious how will the Japanese people going to react to this bufon as PM.
MilesTeg
The Japanese on this article: We must defend Fujimori because he was Japanese and Ishiba because he was just paying his respects to a Japanese. It's not important that Fujimori was a ruthless, convicted dictator and that Ishiba is PM of Japan. LOL!
factchecker
No loss. These gabfests don't deliver much for the countries being represented.
shogun36
Isn't that the Japanese PM's only duty? To take photo opps. Can't even do that right, huh ISHI?
Maybe next time learn some time management.
And was he the ONLY one who missed it?
ooops. I guess it didn't matter if he was even there or not.