When Chizuko Obuchi¡¯s husband, Keizo, became prime minister of Japan in July 1998 and the couple moved into the official residence, she was taken aback by what she found.
¡°People from overseas might be surprised to hear it, but there was absolutely no one and nothing there,¡± Obuchi recalls, more than 20 years later. ¡°Everyone assumes that someone helps you to move into the prime minister¡¯s official residence, but there was no one.
¡°There was no furniture,¡± she says. ¡°I used to put on my apron every day and wipe down the tatami mats. Government officials would ask me why I was wearing an apron and I would tell them it was because I was cleaning every day.¡±
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.