Prime Minister Shinzo Abe went on vacation Monday with plans to play golf during his week off.
No official itinerary has been set during the period except on New Year's Day, when he is scheduled to attend the celebrations at the Imperial Palace.
On Monday morning he checked into a hotel in central Tokyo where he will spend his vacation and worked out in a gym within the hotel compound. He had dinner with his wife Akie and others at an Italian restaurant later in the day.
On Jan. 5, the prime minister will pay a visit to the Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture and hold a news conference.