Photo/Illutration Shintaro Ishihara at a news conference in July 2011 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Six high-profile contestants had already entered the 1999 Tokyo gubernatorial race when Shintaro Ishihara announced his candidacy at a news conference.

Reporters held their breath in anticipation as they awaited Ishihara's opening remarks.

"I am Yujiro's older brother," he began.

That was Ishihara, through and through.

Ishihara was a man of unconventional manners and language, and a desire to please. He had complex feelings about his brother, Yujiro, an actor who died young.

In his book that sold a million copies, titled "Ototo" (Younger brother), Ishihara revealed that as a young man, he always considered himself better looking than Yujiro. And he recalled feeling "somewhat humiliated" as he watched Yujiro's career and popularity soar.

Not many people could have come even close to Ishihara's glamorous background.

He was the older brother of an iconic film star. He became the youngest recipient in history of the prestigious literary award the Akutagawa Prize. And he received the highest number of votes when he was elected to the Upper House.

He was a veritable embodiment of the postwar Showa Era (1926-1989) when Japan's rapid growth made it into an economic superpower and enabled it to gain self-confidence in the international community.

But his numerous cringeworthy remarks as a high-profile politician are unforgettable.

Here are some examples: "'Sangokujin' (Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean residents in Japan) and other foreigners continue to commit vicious crimes." "I understand that 'babaa' (old women) are the worst hazard ever produced by civilization." "I still believe the Great East Japan Earthquake was a divine punishment."

I can't remember how many times his abysmally low human rights awareness totally appalled and disgusted me.

Yet Ishihara's popularity never waned, and he maintained a solid political presence. And perhaps that was one reason why the nation started producing a series of immature politicians who don't know the difference between being bluntly honest and obnoxiously rude.

Ishihara died on Feb. 1. He was 89.

In his book titled "Shi to Iu Saigo no Mirai" (Death, the final future), he noted, "Where I'm concerned, only the body can be considered the self."

From his youth until death, Ishihara's every word and deed remained in the spotlight.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 2

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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