Japan’s new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is promising to reform Japanese politics, create economic growth and bring the country into a new age… but did you know he can sing as well?
In 1988, Hatoyama recorded a single called “Take HEART – Fly, Dove of Peace”, a tune with distinctly hippie overtones.
The original songwriter found himself surprised by the newfound publicity this song is getting.
“I never imagined that there would be a day when this tune would come into the spotlight,” said Teruaki Asanuma, a 65-year-old dentist in the Hokkaido city of Muroran who wrote the song at Hatoyama’s request.
Only a short recording session was required, Asanuma recalled, adding that he thought Hatoyama was “quite accustomed to singing.”
The title of the song plays on the similarity in sound between “hato” (dove), the first part of Hatoyama’s surname, and “heart,” according to Asanuma.
“Now I hope he will help to guide everyone to happiness as suggested in the lyrics of the song,” he said.