Yasuko Hatoyama

Yasuko Hatoyama (Japanese: 鳩山 安子, Hatoyama Yasuko), born Yasuko Ishibashi on September 11, 1922, in what is now Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan, was the wife of Iichirō Hatoyama, a former Japanese Foreign Minister, and the mother of Yukio Hatoyama, a former Prime Minister of Japan, and Kunio Hatoyama, a member of the National Diet.

Her father was Shojiro Ishibashi, the founder of Bridgestone Corporation, established in 1930, which became one of the world's leading tire manufacturing companies. Yasuko inherited a substantial estate from her father upon his death in the 1970s. She attended middle and high school in Tokyo. During her time in Tokyo, she met Iichirō Hatoyama, with whom she married in 1942 at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

Yasuko Hatoyama and Iichirō Hatoyama had two sons, Kunio and Yukio. Kunio Hatoyama served as the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications under Prime Minister Taro Aso. Yukio Hatoyama was elected as the Prime Minister after defeating Taro Aso in the 2009 general election. The Hatoyama family has been characterized as "Japan's Kennedy family" due to their prominent roles in Japanese politics and their influence.

Throughout her life, Yasuko Hatoyama played a significant role in supporting her sons' political careers, primarily through financial contributions. In 1996, she donated billions of yen to help finance the establishment of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which her sons co-founded. Her substantial financial support contributed to the party's development and success. She was known within the Japanese political sphere by the nickname "Godmother" for her influence and financial backing.

Yasuko Hatoyama resided in a retirement home adjacent to St. Luke’s International Hospital in Chuo, Tokyo. She passed away on February 11, 2013, at the age of 90. At the time of her death, she was survived by her two sons, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.