Shintaro Ishihara, coleader of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party), will miss its first-ever convention this weekend due to ill health, a party official confirmed Friday.
Nippon Ishin Secretary General Ichiro Matsui, who doubles as Osaka governor, told reporters that Ishihara will not attend the party's convention in Osaka on Saturday because he has not fully recovered after being hospitalized last month.
The hawkish Ishihara, 80, had been hoping to participate right up to the last minute, according to Matsui. Instead, the former Tokyo governor will send a video message to the convention and hold discussions via videophone with Nippon Ishin cohead and Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto.