PROFESSIONAL LUNCHEON
Yukio Hatoyama,
Former Prime Minister, Member of the House of Representatives

The speech Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.

*New Policy: TV crew reservations made by an actual member will be given priority.

The Alien is back. Yukio Hatoyama served as prime minister for nine months after leading the Democratic Party of Japan to a landslide victory in the 2009 general election.

He stepped down last June and later signaled his readiness to retire from politics, before changing his mind. And now he is making waves again.

Most recently, he has criticized his successor, Prime Minister Naoto Kan, for only naming close allies in his reshuffled Cabinet. Those include Kaoru Yosano as new minister of economic and fiscal policy.

Just one year ago, Yosano -- then with the largest opposition Liberal Democratic Party -- attacked Hatoyama in the Diet as the "king of tax evasion in the Heisei era" over reports he had received a large sum of money from his mother and failed to report it.

Hatoyama, who has long had the nickname "Alien" due to his imaginative way of thinking and his sometimes controversial behaviour, clearly remembers the parliamentary face-off. He will come to the club to keep us abreast of the ongoing power struggle within the ruling party, which is intensifying due to the appointment of Yosano.

Hatoyama, who turns 64 on Feb. 11, graduated from the University of Tokyo's School of Engineering. He earned a Ph.D. at Stanford University. He later worked as an assistant at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kan's alma mater, and as an associate professor at Senshu University before entering the world of politics.

Menu
Baked Perch with Herb Crust, Cauliflower Gratin, Vegetable Julienne, Spinach & Herb Oil.

Yukio Hatoyama, Former Prime Minister