Hatoyama's style

thought the 80's retro look was in style again? All the "talents" and youngsters wearing the same crap.

good lord.. that is a horrible shirt.

I guess he can dress however the hell he likes, he,s the prime minister of Japan.He could also be endorsed by crayola as well. Good on him for dressing the way he feels.

This photo and story appeared in Shukan Asahi this week, criticizing Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama for the clothes he wore at a BBQ . . .

Can't imagine why.

For the love of dog! His wife lets him out in public dressed like that?

Ouch, my eyes! But on the other hand, it's good to see pics on this site that don't feature half-naked Japanese teenaged girls ... I suspect even some of your male readers are getting tired of that. Thanks.

got to admit it is a pretty horrible shirt... mind you, it would be right at home on a golf course, a place where fashion sense (or lack of) dont seem to be important..

Give the guy a break

He could only be wearing that on a dare.

Next time, try stripes, Mr. Hatoyama.

“a multicolored, throwback to the 1980s era of fashion disaster.”

I strongly disagree. This a cliche that bland fashion people like to say, even if they were born yesterday. To know what it was like, you have to connect the fashion with the culture of the 80s - and people tend to miss the 80s. Even my 16 y.o. nephew loves movies, songs, clothes from that era. To me, the real disaster happens when you wear what other people like.

Anyway, this shirt is really shouting, lol. Is is 3D? Gahh, it makes me dizzy. The world is spinning around me!!

It'd look perfectly fine if he didn't have it tucked into a pair of dress slacks, maybe as an over-shirt with some jeans.

lol @ the shirt but I'm not the fashion police and people can wear whatever the hell they want as long as its not their birthday suit in public.

Remember though, guys will usually wear outdated shirts with holes in 'em just cos' we like it.

I see yaw troo cul-liz , troo cul-liz like a rainbow...

His wife made it... "Darling if you dont wear this I'll tell everyone about your slush fund"

sk4ek at 08:09 AM JST - 15th May It'd look perfectly fine if he didn't have it tucked into a pair of dress slacks, maybe as an over-shirt with some jeans

No, it wouldn't look "perfectly fine if he . . ." The shirt is gawd awful. Checks are chancy at best even if they are muted. But that shirt would be a disaster even if it were black and just one other color. Even red and black would be a full Elmer Fudd.

I love that shirt. So geeky and gaudy. Good for him. And yes, I'm relieved not to see yet another look-alike near naked young gal...for once!

If all we have to worry about is that the PM is wearing, then things can't possibly be that bad at all.

Tessa at 07:37 AM JST - 15th May it's good to see pics on this site that don't feature half-naked Japanese teenaged girls ... I suspect even some of your male readers are getting tired of that. Thanks.

hahaha, why on EARTH would you mistakenly think that?

In a democracy the head of state has the right to dress like a clown.

Dude in the back with glasses "Check out this shirt"! Second guy "So Desu Na".

As we used to say in high school "Man your mom sure dresses you funny"!

OssanAmerica at 08:34 AM JST - 15th May In a democracy the head of state has the right to dress like a clown.

Might be true, except that for Japan to be considered a democracy you'd have to have the participation of the citizenry.

I actually think that he's having some kind of nervous breakdown. I nearly did, looking at that pic.

Oh get a life ---------it is better than the stiff,boring white-shirt-blue-jacket. Foreign press PSHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! They get their knickers tied in a knot when Japanese show originality !!!!

finally, something i like about hatochan. cool shirt !! semperfi, couldn't agree with you more, but it's the japanese press that starting ripping him.

Color Me Badd....lol... He would look good if he lost the shirt and just sported the black turtle neck. Hilarious shirts can be found on every block and platform here. Not sure if anyone else noticed how high his pants are. Something I still find funny today as older Japanese dudes wear their pants quite high giving them all a funny look (my opinion only). Judging by that photo of the day yesterday, the general public is not that much better in style. I must be the only jerk in the country who thinks the majority of the Japanese are horrible at matching outfits, colors and common sense style. I wanna sex you up

the clothes he wore at a BBQ at his residence for members of the public, called the “Real Hato Café.

Japanese leader has a cafe called Real Hato Cafe? What's the kanji for that?

I want to twist and spin him like a Rubik's Cube. I do hope he is laughing at himself about this. That would be the only graceful way out. The guy behind him is certainly taking the piss out of him. Ha ha.

Daaa-da-da-daa...STOP! ... HATOYAMA TIME!

In all fairness, he looks brutally uncomfortable wearing it.

I bet his wife bought it for him..

And this

effrey at 08:38 AM JST - 15th May OssanAmerica at 08:34 AM JST - 15th May In a democracy the head of state has the right to dress like a clown. Might be true, except that for Japan to be considered a democracy you'd have to have the participation of the citizenry.

I think the PM is just getting a kicking from all these days.

Now, if he was wearing one of those 'Captain Santa' tops, that'd be another thing...

His mother got it for him. I see he removed the cash from the pockets.

i like his style.

cactusJack at 10:10 AM JST - 15th May His mother got it for him. I see he removed the cash from the pockets.

ZING!!

That really is a terrible shirt.

jeffrey at 08:38 AM JST - 15th May "OssanAmerica at 08:34 AM JST - 15th May In a democracy the head of state has the right to dress like a clown." Might be true, except that for Japan to be considered a democracy you'd >have to have the participation of the citizenry.

No it's considered a democracy even with limited participation. If you want real no-participation go to China.

for me I want to wear what I want whatever they say as long as clothes are neat.

Real Hato Cafe BBQ pigeon meat done by Hato the clown.

Looks as if he couldn't make up his mind on what color flannel shirt to wear. So he wore all of em at the same time.

Shows once again that money and power don't buy good taste....

I would have to disagree with the Shukan Asahi paper. Hatoyama's style says he is not Japan typical PM. There is nothing wrong being an individual. There are a few young Japanese people who dresses up and may be unfashionable in the eyes of society. This country is so bough down on traditions and culture that the country is so unhealthy because people want to live in the past instead of for the future. Even though Hatoyama may be wishy washy in regard to Futenma, at least he is trying to resolve the matter. He is giving his attention to Okinawa and the people plight. I don't believe past PM and someone other than Hatoyama wouldn't give Okinawa the time or day like Hatoyama has. The Futenma is a delicate subject so for all parties to come to an agreement would be miracle.

His shirt reminds me of a house that was up for sale. The house have a 70's feel to it with the different retro colors in each of the rooms. Call it personal taste or being stuck in the 70's living in 21st century. To each his own.

If people seriously think that his shirt means he's too out of touch to be prime minister then I'd propose that any woman wearing a tutu anywhere but in ballet class, a flowered jumpsuit or shoes she can't walk in should not be allowed to vote in national elections. The same goes for any guy wearing Aladdin pants, porkpie hats or shoes that refuses to pick up when he walks. All clear indicators that said people are too out of touch with reality to make decisions that effect others when they can't see how heinous they look.

This is not just a ‘stop picking on the guy’ issue.

Take a look at how this shirt is being perceived in the international media.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/12/japan.hatoyama.fashion/?hpt=C1

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/13/japanese-prime-minister-y_n_574894.html

Here is a very good analysis from the CNN article.

The criticism of the shirt may seem catty and unimportant, but it's a bad sign, said Keith Henry, a government affairs consultant at Asia Strategy. "As a politician, you want to have the focus on policy and your agenda. I think the press and the Japanese people have lost patience with him; patience to the extent that they're no longer paying attention to his policy proposals because no one has faith in his ability to implement them."

It goes from the politics of policy to the politics of personality. And that doesn't help Japan."

This would be a good shirt for:

an NHK singer, singing to children accompanied by life-sized costume animals.

a kinder-gardener as a smock when painting pictures.

a "talento", assuming there were also matching pants and shoes.

The media is the world biggest gossiper.

Will be a sad day when everyone wears the same thing

The handling of a leader by the media has a great impact on public perception. You can see similarities in the current press handling of Hatoyama in how the media handled U.S. Presidents Carter and Ford.

Hatoyama is quickly becoming a leader who may be trying to work/solve/talk about many issues but the Futenma issue has spun out of control as an all-consuming contentious and controversial problem that seems to have no end and no acceptable resolution. The ongoing divisive issue turned into a debacle and appears to have exhausted the public and the press who are extremely frustrated. (similar to the health-care debate and legislation in U.S.) Add to it a now mocking press who just months ago heaped praises on him for the new politics of Japan; they feel somehow ‘betrayed’ by Hatoyama himself. Thus, even the clothes (brightly colored shirt) or the facial expressions of Hatoyama now become the focus.

He is in a very difficult situation. Obviously . . . ?

Fashion critic Don Konishi wasn't laughing and angrily lashed out at the premier's fashion crime in a national magazine and on the airwaves. "Is anyone able to stop him wearing such a thing?" Konishi asked in an irate commentary about the offending shirt. "It's too old. It's out of date. He doesn't have his own style."

@http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100513/wl_asia_afp/japanpoliticsfashionoffbeat_20100513105537

The fashion designers are making a big deal about Hatoyama's style because they don't like the shirt. They are angry at Hatoyama and is taking his shirt out on him. The fashion designer, Konishi, should take a very good look at what is being sold in stores around the world. Fashion trends to comeback after every decade or in a few years with some kind of change made to it.

What does the PM position stands for and means to Hatoyama. This is not the first time he is not wearing a dress shirt in an event that may effect his decision making. What he needs is a fashion consultant, a speech writer, and an image consultant. Image is everything because people judge a book by the cover. How many times have people been wrong about a book?

They're Always After Me Lucky Charms!

"Critic Don Konishi"

That's the job I want - fashion critic! What are the qualifications for this job?

What a hideous shirt! I think this gentleman is being influenced by his crazy, UFO - riding wife. Maybe she bought that on Venus, during one of her trips there, or maybe its because both of them have been eating too much sun in the mornings? Either way - a fashion disaster.

e-shirt ! in times like this (recession once in a century) even the Prime Minister is wearing a shirt stitched with small left over pieces of clothes !

Absolutely nothing wrong with his sirt or style or his policies. He can wear anything he wants in his own home or even elsewhere. I cannot beleive people have he time to sit and criticise about such things.

Perhaps he is smarter than we have given him credit for. Anyone jumping on his fashion is obviously unable to pay attention to the grander things of life, economics and politics and it may be that in this way he is separating the chaff from the wheat.

With all those rainbow colors, he looks like the poster child for the Gay Pride Parade. Next stop - Shinjuku 2-chome!!

Actually, I'm starting to like this shirt. Heck, it beats the heck out of the ubiquitous white shirts and striped ties we see every day, day in and day out.

"his crazy, UFO-riding wife"

Hey, she's a great cook! I'd elaborate more on that, but it would get deleted for being off-topic, lol...

I wish they had mentioned where he got it...

He looks like the 6th Doctor.

Konishi is an old and fat fashion critic who doesnt know a thing about...fashion !

Nobody care about his comment anyway.

...and like Sarge, i think i will have to say i am becoming to ...love his shirt.

Black or white, thats enough.

Let's get down to the important question: is he wearing parachute pants, also?

hmmm i wonder if the man behind him is laughing..

Koizumi could have pulled it off and sang a few Elvis tunes to boot -with great hair you can do things like that.

When you are under stress you can make bad decisions. =He looks stressed.

I just checked my closet -I have a shirt just like that from 1981. -But I don't wear it anymore. I wonder why?

I could understand all this drama if he was out in public, but he's in his own home therefore he has the right to wear what he wants. Sure he could have went a bit more tasteful but hey, that's what he wanted to wear.

And that fashion critic know nothing, retro is always in!

Mori had more sense

yes, he is out of touch

Looks like he's fish out of water.

So much noise for a shirt ? Well I guess when you talk about a shirt your don't need to talk about Japan's decline economy and huge debt...

Tessa : Ouch, my eyes! But on the other hand, it's good to see pics on this site that don't feature half-naked Japanese teenaged girls ... I suspect even some of your male readers are getting tired of that. Thanks.

I totally agree and I've been saying this for weeks. I hope my message will not be delete cause these are very important stuff : Japantoday must be more careful with their editorial content. The interest in young girls is really getting sickening. I fear this mentality is putting our girls in great danger. As a news media, Japantoday has a moral responsability. Please, don't feed the sickos. Don't play with their pervert minds to make ratings. Teach them to respect the girls. Help them to see the girls as human beings and not as sexual slaves. The parents communauty will greatly appreciate.

trendy coloths i liked them

Obviously, his mother still dresses him.

his outfit is sicker than sick. only thing sicker would be... ninja gear.

good call hatoyamasama. I support your technicolor @$$