Japan PM Shinzo Abe plans to resign citing poor health: Reports

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has planned to resign from top post "because of health issues", according to state media reports.

Japan`s national broadcaster, NHK has said that he will provide further details of his decision in his news conference today.

Japan's Prime Minister's Office said the report could not be immediately confirmed, but that Abe was believed to be meeting top ruling officials at the party headquarters.

This comes after Abe`s visit to a Tokyo hospital twice over the past two weeks. This has sparked speculations about his ill health.

However,  this is not the first time he resigned. In 2007, he resigned because of an inflammatory bowel disease after serving a year in office.

He returned to the top job in 2012 after a landslide election win in the Lower House.

(With agency inputs)