HAMAMATSU, Shizuoka Pref. — When two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Ryoko Tani said in May she would run in the upcoming Upper House election — without giving up her goal of winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics — many wondered: Can she pull it off?
"She shouldn't have run in the election," said 64-year-old housewife Yukiko Atsumi, after hearing Tani's stump speech in early June in front of JR Hamamatsu Station in Shizuoka Prefecture.
"If she gets elected, she'll just be another politician. Moreover, it's not easy to do both the Olympics and politics. You can't underestimate (the job), you can't do it just because you're rich and famous."