Tokyo (CNN) When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took three days off for a summer vacation last week and used one of them to get a physical exam, it opened a political Pandora's Box. Striding into his official residence after his latest hospital visit, Abe said: "I will return to work and try to gambaru." The do-or-die mentality gambaru permeates Japanese society, where the pursuit of a goal can carry more significance than the outcome. It was also a flashback to 2007, when Abe cited his health for an abrupt resignation. Were Abe to step down, the party could quickly designate a new leader who would almost certainly be confirmed as prime minister.

Source: CNN August 25, 2020 03:00 UTC