Tokyo | 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, Mr 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.
