Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

Prime Minister Abe of Japan gave up his position because of attacks…from within.

These three elements:

1. a crushing election defeat,

2. sagging voter support

3. a raft of scandals.

A trip to South Asia’s India, Malaysia and Indonesia and some local food apparently exasperated his illness.

The PM wrote that he suffered from ulcerative colitis – a bowel illness cause by ulcers that started 36 years ago when he was 17.

Abe wrote, “I rushed to the lavatory after having keen abdominal pains and saw the basin all red with tremendous bleeding. Bleeding causes slight anaemia. More than anything else, though, you feel depressed as you see fresh blood every time you go to the toilet.”

The illness made him “feel the need to relieve my bowels every 30 minutes.”

“You can never get a good night’s sleep as you shuttle between the bed and toilet,” he said.

“The need to go to the toilet many times a day hampers election and other political activities very much.”

His wife also tearfully pleaded with him to give up the political career he was groomed for since he was a child.

His grandfather was also Japan’s PM.

The illness came to a head, er, bottom says the PM when his health deteriorated after eating something during his tour of India, Malaysia and Indonesia.

30 trips to the lavatory a day makes it “absolutely impossible to perform the heavy duties of prime minister,” he also said.

But, most of what we find that comes out of a politician’s mouth is not much different than what we might find in said lavatory, eh?

Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.