Thursday, September 13, 2007

While the Bull---tometer is on...

I would like to know why Prime Minister Abe Shinzō could not make a single mention of his having health problems in his resignation announcement, since, if we are to believe the word of the Keiō Hospital spokesman, the PM is suffering from a functional gastrointestinal disorder (here is the Sankei Shinbun's Japanese language version of the story.)

Instead it was up to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yosano Kaoru to reveal that the Prime Minister was in extreme distress.

I would also like to know how times anyone has seen a seriously ill individual wearing a suit to his emergency medical examination.

And since when do persons with gastrointestinal troubles beg to quit on Sunday, pledge to fight on to the finish in a public speech on Monday, say nothing about their physical suffering in a resignation speech on Wednesday and disappear in to the bowels (sorry, I had to) of a discreet private university hospital on Thursday?

What the heck is going on here?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

isn't that just the Japanese male pride? And wearing a suit is obviously to keep appearances up, you don't wanna look too weak.

Anonymous said...

"I would also like to know how times anyone has seen a seriously ill individual wearing a suit to his emergency medical examination."

As my grandfather lost consciousness in the hospital before he died, he was still pleading with the nurses to help him put on a necktie. I can understand exactly why Abe wanted to wear a suit to the hospital.