Terry Blanton wrote:
I find the first lady of Japan absolutely delightful.
So do I. I have a soft spot for slightly daffy mystically-minded middle aged ladies.
I like Mr. Hatoyama too, so far. He is a little daffy himself and possibly weak. We'll see. The present P.M. Aso is kind of a jerk with a sordid family past. Aso and Hatoyama are among the wealthiest people in Japan, but I get a sense the Hatoyama is more aware of ordinary people's lives. I can't imagine him insulting untouchable minority members (burakumin) or telling college students "Don't marry if you are poor." He was a professor.
Hatoyama's fortune comes from the Bridgestone Tire company, on his mother's side.
Ms. Hatoyama, daffy as she might appear, is a force to be reckoned with in her personal life. You wouldn't want to cross her. The newspapers reported that she was married to another man when she met Hatoyama at Stanford U. She rather quickly dumped her husband and married him instead. I have not reason to think that love was not the cause, but perhaps Hatoyama's personal fortune influenced her. It is reportedly $100 to $200 million.
- Jed
