Campaigning

"You really ought to be home making bumpies -- err... babies!"

That's the last thing I'd want-encountering aso on the train.

Aso; "Thanks to our policies. only 75% of you will get jobs when you enter "society hell!" What ans Aso!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

I saw him in Majiro last night. Knocking back his scotch and smoking away.

PM, how about offering your seat to a lady?

Oh - I forgot.

This is Japan.

It he reaching for a breast or a rear-end?

I saw him in Majiro last night. Knocking back his scotch and smoking away.

Judging by that picture I'd guess he'd already knocked back a few by the time you saw him.

Lol, that old timer must seem like he's from another universe to them

Are they promoting a new horror movie? A monster terrorizing young girls. The makeup artist did a pretty impressive job with the lead male actor.

My thoughts exactly blvtzpk! Him offering his seat would mean a LOT more than ANYTHING that he could be saying to them. lol

what's wrong with his face ?

Political rockstar Aso,got some students smiling. This is good.

Yes, he shoud totally give up his seat. We all know women suffer from a major impediment that makes it very difficult for them to stand.

they're probably thinking - "who is this old fart?"

Is he reaching for a br&%st or rear-end?

He's asking the students how to read the kanji on the Jump magazine advertisement hee hee!

"what's wrong with his face ?"

Is there something wrong with his face?

It isn't the only seat he should be thinking of giving up.

bltvzpk: "PM, how about offering your seat to a lady?"

What you missed (just before THIS pic was taken) was that the young girl offered up her seat to the infirmed geriatric, Aso. After that, when this pic is taken, he began to illustrate how to spot a groper on trains... as thanks. :)

PM, how about offering your seat to a lady?

Oh - I forgot.

This is Japan.

Give me a break, I've used public transit extensively at home in the US and can't remember the last time a guy gave a seat to a girl. Chivary is almost dead these days.

Old man Aso is looking more and more like a dead man walking everyday. The old fella will lead the LDP to it's worst performance in history...what a legacy!

The LDP party political broadcast on telly last night started off with Aso apologising for getting everything wrong so far.

I get the feeling the LDP is deliberately trying to lose this election because things have just got too difficult for them. They want someone else to sort out all their mistakes.

Aso riding the train eh. Actually he was driven to the station by limousine and somebody else bought his ticket. He must be pretty desperate. Anyway, politicians excel in kissing the butt of the entire electorate. After the election, you won't see him ever in a train again.

After the election, you won't see him ever in a train again.

Or elsewhere...unless there's a Home for Hasbeen PMs.

"Old man Aso is looking more and more like a dead man walking every day"

He be lookin' pretty genki to me in this photo.

people are criticizing Aso for not giving his seat to teenage girls? Why? Young girls should be prepared to give up their seats to geriatric, senile, old fogies.

I like the one girl's hairstyle with her hair covering one eye.

"I like the one girl's hairstyle with her hair covering one eye."

It's called Emo-Hairstyle.

Another example why Aso should stay PM! He's a fun guy and down where the people are. This would happen with any other current candidate.

He's saying, "And then Yoda say, 'Use the force, Luke...like THIS.'"

I hope he loses to DPJ Hotoyamasan. Enough is enough!

"It's called Emo-Hairstyle"

Emo for emotional. Well, she certainly looks happy to see Aso!

Outspoken - What makes you think Hatoyama would be a better PM than Aso? Because he doesn't make as many mistakes reading kanji?

Am I the only one who thinks that that claw-like hand seems a bit 'groper'-ish?

Hello? they are too young to vote.

Emo hairstyle, bah, give me a break. Girls and guys have had that hairstyle since grunge back in the 90's. :-P Further back, let's go look at the 70's cuts.

He's doing his business and I think he should probably be out in the public eye in Japan more often.

Lol, Aso looks so funny!

The way old Aso is leering at those teenage girls is downright creepy and sickening.

BurakuminDes at 05:36 PM JST - 22nd August The way old Aso is leering at those teenage girls is downright creepy and sickening.

the way you leer @ them is better?

Meh the schoolgirl holding the Tommy Hilfiger bag looks happy, the rest of the guys in the background (who will be voting) look like they're giving him BIG dirties.

Who's he trying to fool? He's an ultra-conservative guy who wants to microchip foreigners. His dad owned a sweatshop for prisoners, and he's the 3rd in line after Abe and Fukuda.

I was lightly amused to see Fukuda and Abe were touring the country giving speeches about why people should vote for the LDP... even identifying themselves as former PM's. I saw Fukuda at my local mall talking about how hard it is being PM, and how only the LDP can handle it. He's living proof of such claims I guess?

Hopefully he is not "accidentally" mistaken for a groper by these young women.

Sarge said,

Outspoken - What makes you think Hatoyama would be a better PM than Aso? Because he doesn't make as many mistakes reading kanji?

What makes you think he'd be a worse one? Oh wait, let me guess. The DPJ's foreign policy isn't as Republican-friendly?

Anyway, given that this is a man who probably hasn't had to drive himself anywhere since before he was conceived, seeing him pretending to be an ordinary joe on a commuter train is pretty laughable.

Simon - Hatoyama hasn't had to drive himself anywhere since before he was conceived either. Amazing huh?

I bet this was the first time in his life that the Aso was on a public train.

BurakuminDes at 05:36 PM JST - 22nd August The way old Aso is leering at those teenage girls is downright creepy and sickening.

the way you leer @ them is better?

Ha ha! I don't leer at teens on trains - honest! I'm not Japanese! LOL.

He having a heart attack?....

"You call this a chi-ka-te-tsu? My, will wonders never cease! Where is the person you talk at when you want this thing to stop?"

I heard this ludicrous old clown is coming to Kashiwa tomorrow. I promise you this - he'll be looking up the business end of a saxon salute if I spot him. There shall be mooning.

You do that Ivan! I hear there's a full moon tomorrow! Throw the ugly geriatric a sieg heil as well, that's pretty fitting for his political leanings.

I heard this ludicrous old clown is coming to Kashiwa tomorrow

I'll see you outside SOGO then. by the BIC camera entrance eh W

So, are the Japanese politicians like the U.S. politicians - we only hear from them/see them when elections roll around again?

Simon - Hatoyama hasn't had to drive himself anywhere since before he was conceived either. Amazing huh?

I haven't seen Hatoyama in any dumb photo ops like this one, though.

"...so there I was on a crowded train, and I went to push the stop button like this, but it turned out to be something else."