Prime Minister Naoto Kan's unpopularity among voters is increasing and now his wife, Nobuko, appears to be coming in for the same treatment because of Democratic Party of Japan fliers that represent her as a comic character.
During a meeting Thursday, party members complained about the fliers, which are to be distributed to voters. The fliers feature illustrations of Kan's wife as a cartoon character who explains the party's policies to voters in an easy to understand manner.
Kan's wife is the main character in "Nobuko-san no Chotto Ii Hanashi" (Some useful information from Nobuko-san) fliers.
"We never agreed to use Nobuko Kan as the party's poster girl," said Diet member Kei Otani, who stepped up to talk to DPJ executives at the gathering of party members before a Lower House plenary session.
Many DPJ lawmakers appeared worried they might lose votes in the next election if the wife of the unpopular Kan is featured on the fliers.
The A4-size fliers come in several versions and explain key DPJ policies, such as a cartoon for the individual household income support system for rice farmers.
About 1,000 copies are being sent to each lawmaker's office in their electoral district. But some lawmakers are not distributing them, according to a DPJ source.
"This flier is a sort of black humor," said Otani, noting they should focus more on what the DPJ can do from this point instead of what it has accomplished.