One of the most memorable and often ridiculed moments in U.S. presidential history occurred in Japan on January 8, 1992, when President George H.W. Bush vomited in the lap of Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa during a state dinner.
When George H.W. Bush vomited On Japan PM Kiichi Miyazawa
Prime Minister Miyazawa was hosting President Bush for a dinner during his state visit to Japan. Despite being 67 years old, Bush had appeared to be in good health earlier that day, even playing doubles tennis with the Emperor of Japan and his son.
However, during the dinner, Bush suddenly became ill. He leaned forward and collapsed, vomiting into Miyazawa’s lap before fainting. His wife Barbara, aides, and Secret Service members quickly attended to him. Bush was revived within moments and managed to leave the dinner under his own power, apologizing for the incident.
Medical Explanation
Doctors later explained that Bush had experienced acute gastroenteritis and felt better after taking anti-nausea medication. He was able to resume his regular schedule the following day. However, the event, combined with blurry footage of his collapse, became a major point of discussion in the U.S.
Cultural Impact and Political Fallout
The incident was widely mocked, with programs like Saturday Night Live even comparing it to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. While Bush chose not to capitalize on the situation publicly, his challenger in the 1992 election, Bill Clinton, likely gained an advantage.
Clinton’s image of youthful vitality contrasted sharply with Bush’s public health scare.
Bush ultimately lost his re-election bid that November, but he lived to see his son, George W. Bush, serve two terms as president. The episode remains a notable and humorous chapter in the history of U.S. presidencies.
In Japan, the incident even led to the creation of a slang term, “bushuru,” which means “to pull a Bush” and refers to vomiting.
