High-achieving limbless lothario sunk by scandal
Born without arms or legs, Hirotada Ototake achieved more than anyone would have thought possible. He went to one of Japan’s most famous universities, published a bestselling book, worked as a teacher and a journalist, and was about to stand for parliament. But yesterday his nascent political career came to an abrupt end with revelations of serial adultery.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party dropped Ototake, 39, who is married with three children, after he confirmed reports in a magazine that he had travelled to Europe with a mistress. He also admitted to affairs with four other women.
‘‘My behaviour, as reported by the magazine, amounts to a betrayal of my devoted wife and my supporters, and it’s absolutely unforgivable,’’ he said in a statement, after the revelations by Weekly Shincho magazine.
‘‘It’s difficult to win back trust, but I would like to take this opportunity for soul-searching and deal with family matters.’’
Ototake has tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare congenital disorder. He became famous with the publication in 1988 of No One’s Perfect, an exuberant memoir which expressed a point of view rarely heard in Japan – that it is possible to be severely disabled and happy.
Weekly Shincho described a holiday to France and Tunisia taken in December by Ototake and a woman in her late 20s. According to the magazine, they travelled with a male ‘‘decoy’’ intended to conceal their romantic involvement.
A statement on his website by his wife, Hitomi, was criticised by commentators. ‘‘I feel that the blame for this situation partly also lies with me,’’ she said. Ototake’s mother, Yoshiko, responded: ‘‘It’s my son who is wrong. To make his wife apologise – that shouldn’t happen.’’