Hatoyama praises 'happy life' in Crimea; slams Tokyo's stance

What a national embarrassment this man is. To put his actions into some context, his grandfather was also the PM who normalized relation with the soviets after WW2. I suspects he sees himself as carrying on that family legacy even though he isn't playing with a full deck.

Hatoyama, a hugely wealthy man, became prime minister in 2009

Hatoyama himself is not independently wealthy. His wife (who publicly claims to have been abducted by aliens and taken to Venus) comes from a rich family and bankrolls all of his campaigns.

I didn't listen to what this flip flopper had to say when he was PM and I care even less now.

I think Hatoyama should have a conversation with former PM Hosokawa on useful endeavours in life after being PM. Clearly anything related to diplomacy and foreign affairs is something he should stay away from.

"the government had tried to stop the gaffe-prone former prime minister from traveling to the annexed peninsula, saying his action is at odds with Japan’s stance on the Ukraine situation." Japan does not have stance on the Ukraine situation all Japan does it's what's is dictated by Washington

Clearly Hatoyama wasn't refering to the Crimean Tatars. Perhaps Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga could invite the 'aliens' back so he can be reunited with his wife.

Wayne Kerr.

@Jay Manjarres They are called alliances. You might try them sometime.

Does this mean Hatoyama also supports Russian possession of the "Northern Territories"? After all, the people living there are "happy" and presumably would vote to stay part of Russia if a referendum were held.

@zones2surfMAR. 12, 2015 - 08:32AM JST I think Hatoyama should have a conversation with former PM Hosokawa on useful endeavours in life after being PM. Clearly anything related to diplomacy and foreign affairs is something he should stay away from.

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I agree that Mr. Hatoyama may benefit if he listens to Mr. Hosokawa. Mr Hosokawa. He should come out rto help Abe and Japan beside Hatoyama who need grace and class.

There has to be an investigation into Hatiyama's accounts abroad . I would say he must have gotten a lot of money in exchange for discrediting the J Government and the rest of The World . That's the way Putin and his friends operate .

I wonder if he would feel the same if the Russians invaded Hokkaido

"@Jay Manjarres They are called alliances. You might try them sometime." No one needs alliances that account for slavery and total restriction of opinion. Lip service only. An ally should be able to take a stance free from repercussions. Putting a country on a path of conflict just because it may lose their alliance later resulting in conflicts and sanctions or keeping them as friends so that they can back you up in international crimes is totally unacceptable. It is not the alliance any peaceful forward looking nation needs.

He is too brainy that he ignores everybody/ ,

Oh I see Japan has its own Jimmy Carter

Next he'll be off to Syria to report on the idyllic life there.

Personally, I don't have any doubt that the Crimean folks were happy to cosy up to Russia. But that doesn't mean that it's all well and good for a border to be changed, just like that. This whole thing has created a bad precendent, resulted in loads of deaths in other parts of Ukraine, and it's got the Estonians', Lithuanians and Latvians on edge now too.

Hatoyama ought to have thought about the big picture, but the man is a nutcase.

The Japanese electorate ought to be seriously questioning itself how it ever promoted him to the role of Prime Minister in the first place. Democracy is broken here.

What a fruitcake. Your so-called 'leaders' like this nut-job will make the inevitable conquest of your struggling planet by us malevolent space monsters all the more easier.

Wow, he sounds exactly like an RT news anchor. What a shame this thing is, he even looks like a frog

There are few things to notice here First this shows to my surprise that Japan is much less of a free country than what i thought.

Second is the total disregard of the historical facts about Crimea, its ethnicity and peoples right to self determination. Referendum was free and peaceful and people had their say.

And also this big thing about invasion and Little Green Man, since Russia by agreement with Ukraine always kept a large numbers of troops in Crimea. Twenty thousand was what was agreed number why would they need more when there was no fighting or any military activities there. With twenty thousand they would have enough to take over all of Ukraine.

In my opinion Mr. Hatoyama is a brave man that wants to use his own eyes instead of blindly listening to Anglo-American lies and propaganda. He is doing a favor to all Japanese and rest of the world.

Zvonko I agree with you about Mr. Hatoyama is a brave man that wants to use his own eyes instead of blindly listening to Anglo-American lies and propaganda. He is doing a favor to all Japanese and rest of the world

“The government has been asking him to think twice about the visit, but he went ahead and did it anyway. His behavior is grossly imprudent and extremely regrettable for someone who experienced the office of prime minister.”

Isn't this the criteria necessary for re-election to the position?

In any case, his 'it's a shame the people get only one-sided information' is ignorant giving what he's likely being spoon-fed by Russia and the whole notion of a 'happy life' in a war zone. This guy will be turning around and saying he was misunderstood in "three...two... one..."

why didn't the gov't just confiscate his passport like they did with the journalist? clearly he is a danger to himself and society as a whole.

fxgaiMar. 12, 2015 - 10:13AM JST

Personally, I don't have any doubt that the Crimean folks were happy to cosy up to Russia. But that doesn't mean that it's all well and good for a border to be changed, just like that.

Why not. It is called democracy. The border has changed in East Timor, former Yugoslavia, South Sudan, etc.

This whole thing has created a bad precendent, resulted in loads of deaths in other parts of Ukraine,

I credit the loads of dead bodies to US President Obama. I bet US would change its Ukraine policy as soon as Obama's period ends and a new President comes into office.

and it's got the Estonians', Lithuanians and Latvians on edge now too.

Hardly. When did a Baltic state have a referendum in favor of Russian annexation? US sending troops to there is more of provocation than defense.

I have never been in agreement with anything Hatoyama has said before (dislike him as much as most other J-pols), but to anyone who knows Russian history and the Russian people (I'm a Russian speaker), the annexation of the Crimea supported by the majority of Russians came as no surprise. The referendum was conducted fairly and the outcome appears to reflect the popular will of the Crimeans. Many Crimean Tartars may have mixed feelings about returning to "Mother Russia", but living under the flag of the Ukraine was no picnic for them either. Hatoyama, by breaking ranks with the usual suspects with their sheep-like bleatings of "two legs baaad", has brought a breath of fresh air to the musty politics of the Cold War that still pervade the corridors of stars-and-striped Kasumigaseki. Now we have experienced an event rare in Japanese politics: a chance for the general public to hear a debate informed by a real difference of opinion, thanks to the politically incorrect views of Hatoyama who, unlike Abe and his crew, took the trouble to go to the Crimea and see for himself. One final thought: do those knee-jerk coldwarriors who condemn the return of the Crimea to Russia ever spare a thought for the Cubans who for decades have had to put up with the insolent US occupation of Guantanamo, the bleeding stain besmirching the honor and reputation of the republic.

mr. russian, huh? Wonder where you get your news from and what criminal you worship. fxgai is right, you don't just hold referendums in other people's territory because you know it will turn out in your favor. You russkies need to learn what democracy actually means: rule by the people. IOW rule by all of Ukraine, not just a few bumpkins you found that like Putin. And by the way, your glorious leader has admitted to planning the takeover of Crimea prior to the referendum.

@Jay Manjarres The only countries committing international crimes are the Chinese and the Russians. Everyone else is just doing what needs to be done to keep the barbarians in their proper borders.

I agree with Zvonko, about the Crimean referendum being free and peaceful, and about Hatoyama being brave.

I'd like him to return as Japan's PM, the current one worries me. The only thing I did not like about him was his taste in shirts, but I can live with that.

@ scipantheist

I thought you might have guessed from my posts that English is my first language, so just for the record: I'm a Russian speaker, NOT a Russian. I was in Moscow during the summer (not to visit Edward, unfortunately) and from my admittedly limited number of conversations I never came across any Russian who thought the return of the Crimea was wrong. This, of course, proves nothing, but Putin, whom I loathe, did the right thing by the majority of Russians ( again, it must be conceded that the majority is not always right, as is obvious to anyone with even a superficial knowledge of US domestic politics).

Finally somebody who dares to speak the truth and not parrot out what his 'Allies' asked him to say.

Ukraine lost the right to Crimea the moment they threw out a democratically elected Pro-Russian government. If they hate Russia so much then its better they let go of everything Russian, including Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.

You russkies need to learn what democracy actually means: rule by the people.

There was a democratically elected government in Ukraine. Since it was pro-Russian, the EU and the US decided that it needed to be kicked out.

Wonder where you get your news from and what criminal you worship.

Same can be said of Dubya, but thats a truth not many want to hear.

scipantheistMar. 12, 2015 - 01:53PM JST

IOW rule by all of Ukraine.

Funny. When the US declared independence, did all or even majority of the people of UK approve it?

Looks like the anti-Putin campaign worked. I guess we will soon be seeing Hatoyama on the cover of Time, People, Der Spiegel and Better Homes and Gardens magazines with mushroom clouds in the background. Maybe Hatoyama will do something real profound next like banishing all the snakes from Japan.

"but...but...it MUST be true cuz FOXBBCCNNMSNBC said so"

I guess it comes down to what one thinks is more important - where states get to draw their borders, or thousands of human lives that get lost as collateral damage when the border redrawing goes on.

If Putin wanted Crimea back, couldn't he have negotiated peacefully with Ukraine about it, kind of like how Japan (puppet of the US) has been negotiating with the Russians over the northern territories, for 70 years?

Which way is better?

In the case of the American colonies making the unilateral decision to break with the UK, the majority of the colonists supported independence, but a large minority, possibly as much as one third of the European population, did not. Subsequently, many voted with their feet by crossing the border into Canada. The native peoples, mistrusting ( rightly, as history would soon show) the professed "good intentions" of the pro-independence parties, for the most part sided with the loyalists, not that their views were ever considered, and anyway the whole issue was decided in favor of the stronger party, like the recent case of the Crimea and in the near future the probable secession of the Russian-speaking areas of East Ukraine.

Japan was taking its cue from “the West, first and foremost the United States.” please if this was the case then why didn't the Emperor of Japan surrender formally and sign the agreement on board the ship and instead sent a lowly official. Japan does what the shadow bosses dictate they want to happen for Japan. Even the media know this.

Hatoyama must have been in touch with the aliens his wife has been conversing with.

Knowing the way things work here, I would not be surprised if he is actually on a government mission, and by criticizing the government, he actually becomes an submarine envoy (not sure if this is correct English) that can represent the interests of the Japanese government in Crimea.

Doubt many people in Crimea have a "happy life". And that was probably true before the Rusians took it back from Ukraine.

@scipantheist

"You russkies need to learn what democracy actually means: rule by the people. IOW rule by all of Ukraine"

You seem to be saying existing national boundaries trump the right of self-determination. That's a new definition of democracy to me.

He only uses his thinking ignoring his supporters. He screwed up DPJ when he was PM. Don;t blame DPJ people who don't want him It was a majority party but look at DPJ now.

"Even the DPJ is trying distance itself from Hatoyama."

Wow,Hatoyama seriously screwed up!

"Way to go Hatoyama, stick it to the man and go your own way."

He's gone his own way all right.

"The drones in corporate Japan could take a cue from this guy."

That would be a really bad idea.

I wish I had the insight Hatoyama possesses, In a three day visit,of only just one had passed as the story went to press this man could make such a judgement , that the people of the Crimea live a , to quote "happy life". I wonder if he would be able to make that statement after living and working amongst the ordinary people, not the privileged people of the Crimea. We must never forget that those who live and have lived a privileged life, rarely understand much about life.

What he has done exactly ??

He personally recognised that Crimea is Russian?

No he just visit this land to look what's going on.

I think it's a wise decision.

his wife Miyuki, who said her soul once visited Venus on a triangular spaceship and that she met Tom Cruise in a previous life probably told her husband that she met Put/iin after Tom Cruise.

Thought he changed his occupation to promote women's clothes by wearing women;s clothes and becomigh a woman star in East Size story/

This was an article about Hatoyama visiting Crimea, but obviously has morphed into a broader discussion of the validity of Russia's actions with respect to Crimea and the response of the world to those actions.

Regardless of the underlying questions regarding Russia's actions with respect to Crimea, including its annexation, one has to ask the question: does anyone really believe Hatoyama has any clue about the broader issues here? Seriously? Those that support Russia's action may applaud his "independence", but, c'mon, Hatoyama? You want to hold him up as a knowledgeable person whose actions reflect favourably on the actions Russia has taken?

I have my own, very strong, views on the actions related to Crimea, but that is not the subject of this article. And it is a rabbit hole I prefer not to enter.

Why doesn't he move there? What a idiot?

Half of the haters for Russia hate simply because they have been pushed to by a idea set forth by their gov. If you asked to explain why a people who voted to join Russia should go back I doubt a good reason would be given other then they didn't choose what the west wanted, let me ask you, why are their not thousands not rushing the gov offices If forced to join Russia.

@albaleo

You seem to be saying existing national boundaries trump the right of self-determination.

Self-determination applies to nations and was basically the principle of de-colonialization. Ukraine didn't colonize Crimea. A weak argument, but I applaud you for doing better than Mr. Putin.

Funny. When the US declared independence, did all or even majority of the people of UK approve it?

Maybe the US should invade and hold a referendum in Chechnya, then, huh? If your point were valid, the Crimeans would have had to had a war with Kiev before getting their annexation into Russia. Instead, Putin and his little green men flat out stole from someone smaller than him.

@ntonio MarquesMAR. 12, 2015 - 09:26AM JST There has to be an investigation into Hatiyama's accounts abroad . I would say he must have gotten a lot of money in exchange for discrediting the J Government and the rest of The World . That's the way Putin and his friends operate

His family is extremely wealthy. How many trillion US dollars is your allgation?

Don't you mean how many Hatoyama gave to Crimea?

Hatoyama is due more respect than the US puppet currently at the helm. While in office Hatoyama showed some independence from the Masters in Washington, which had him overthrown. If only Japan stood up and became a sovereign nation once again (without imperialist goals), the world would be a safer place.

Beyond who is right and wrong here, this is a fairly transparent case of yet another hereditary Japanese politicians who is obsessed with his family lineage. With Abe, it's all about his maternal grandfather Kishi who was imprisoned by the Americans after World War II for championing Japanese imperialism.

With Hatoyama, it's all about his grandfather Ichiro who was prime minister in 1956 when Japan and the USSR re-established diplomatic relations. So Hatoyama believes that he has some role to play in further improving Russia-Japan relations. His own son Kiichiro lived for some years in Russia and even published a book in Russian on Moscow's traffic.

Other countries have hereditary politicians who are obsessed with their blood-related predecessors--USA obviously with Jeb Bush gearing up for a presidential run in the name of satiating his weird "older brother" complex vis-a-vis George. But Japanese politicians take obsession with their family histories to another level.

@Criticalthinker Show me proof of the US' involvement in Hatoyama resigning and not his own unpopularity.

@scipantheist - Hatoyama fell on his sword for not closing the base at Futenma, as he promised to do when elected. The sinking of the South Korean naval ship Cheonan forced his hand- there is evidence that a US mine sunk the ship, rather than being fired upon from a North Korean ship. From there, the corrupt mockingbird media spun the story to instill fear in the Japanese public, and shore up support for the US "Pivot to asia" foreign policy. This is the modus operandi for every act of war in history.

Japan has the nous to defend itself from anyone, but it's up to the youth to unplug from their stupor and get engaged in politics.

@Chop ChopMAR. 12, 2015 - 11:24PM JST Why doesn't he move there? What a idiot?

He may move there if he is allowed to wear a girls' red dress. DPJ was majority when DPJ appointed him as PM. LDP was not majority. While he was PM lost majority status. So, new majority LDP after observing DPJ and Hatoyama, very wealthy and loose lip Aso was not electted as PM. Abe was chosen. DPJ does not want Hatoyama thinking DPJ become one of many small parties if Hatoyama back to DPJ/ .

Typifies a generation of well-educated fops who lead the LDP to power and then DID nothing. Hatoyama, Kan and Maehara, etc. All products of the best universities in Japan (Tokyo, TIT, Kyoto), but not a brain between them. This is the chap that seriously upset the folks down in Okinawa. At least he wasn't PM when 311 occurred. His brother is a bozo to boot.

"Hatoyama is due more respect than the US puppet currently at the helm."

No, he's not, and Abe is not a U.S. puppet.

"While in office Hatoyama showed some independence from the Masters in Washington, which had him overthrown"

Pfft! Japanese voters voted out Minshuto along with Loopy Hatoyama.

Hatoyama was never puppet of USA. He was on his own and he never listened to anyone and that made DPJ vell down from majority. Puppet of USA? The DPJ tops selected him to be PM. Nothing to insult USA. Japanese votes general election and DPJ selectipn of PM did not include any USA people. Media reported the result. Hatoyama listens to USA? You got be kidding, He only listens to his wife who talked about her previous life with Tom Cruose and alien story.

Japanese Gaimusho did not want Crimean people think all Japanese men wear red women;s dress. Id bet. But Japan gave passport just like it has been issuring to other Japanese/ You never know what he will wear in Crimea.

Hatoyama is turning himself into the Jimmy Carter of Japan.