Japan prime minister acknowledges past stomach cancer surgery

Japan's prime minister revealed a long-kept secret about his health Tuesday for the first time — that he has had stomach cancer.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, 71, told reporters that "When one gets to this age, anyone would have had one or two illnesses," virtually acknowledging a magazine article that he had a stomach cancer removed about 10 years ago.

Fukuda was responding to a question by reporters about a recent article by the Weekly Asahi that the prime minister revealed the secret to a group of journalists at a private dinner meeting last month.

The magazine, which quoted participants of the March 12 dinner, said that Fukuda said he underwent cancer operation before becoming top government spokesman in 2000. Fukuda secretly checked into a hospital without telling anyone but close relatives and attended parliamentary sessions and panel meetings from his hospital room, apparently sneaking out of the hospital while he was still a patient.

Fukuda has hosted dinner meetings with the senior political journalists regularly since September, 2001, the magazine said.

The prime minister's confession came when Shigetada Kishii, senior editorial staff member of the Mainichi newspaper, asked him about a message Fukuda wrote in a get-well card just before Kishii underwent a colon cancer operation in November.

Fukuda wrote: "A voice of experience: Spirit is the key," the magazine said.

Then, at the March 12 dinner, Fukuda told Kishii: "To tell you the truth, I've had a stomach cancer operation in utmost secrecy about 10 years ago," the magazine said.

Since he has survived a key 10-year mark, he is largely considered cured, with his past cancer causing no immediate health problems that would hinder him in performing his duties, the magazine said.

It was not known why Fukuda broke the secret about his health — a highly sensitive topic to political leaders in this country — at a time his approval ratings have sagged over a number of scandals and faced opposition calls for a snap election.

His predecessor, Shinzo Abe, was tightlipped about the rumors about his chronic intestinal problem, even though that eventually ended his premiership in September. Abe, who did not mention his health problem in his initial resignation announcement, revealed the real reason only weeks later when he had a news conference from a hospital.

"Prime Minister Fukuda slipped out his health problem, which could be detrimental to politicians, as he might have become off guard while meeting the regulars of his dinner meetings," the magazine said.