NEW YORK -- Like John Lennon, who wrote the 1967 Beatles hit "Strawberry Fields Forever" about his childhood stamping grounds, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has strawberry fields in his past -- real ones.
In contrast to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, who both come from prominent families with deep political ties, Suga is the son of a humble strawberry farmer. The prime minister's chief spokesman grew up in Japan's northeastern Akita Prefecture, where the snow can be so deep that just going outside is difficult.
