Former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, who died Saturday at age 68, was a passionate, tough politician with a great deal of policy expertise.
Although he usually appeared before reporters as a short-tempered politician who often threw tough questions back at them, Hashimoto was a warm-hearted man devoted to medical and social welfare issues and a dove when it came to diplomacy.
Several years ago, when he was asked why he became a politician, he related a story about when he was a student at Keio University. He accompanied his father, Ryugo, then welfare minister and wheelchair-bound, to a home in the Tohoku region for children with muscular dystrophy.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.