The view from afar...the inauguration of President Obama from Japan

Experiencing the election in Japan was an interesting event, but even more interesting was the experience of the inauguration.

On Monday, my boss, Ito Kacho, began discussing how he was looking forward to a new chapter in world politics. He quoted the campaign slogans "Change" and "Yes we can" as he discussed that America was soon to inaugurate a new president, and a black on at that.

On Tuesday, I led the morning greeting and also discussed Obama, seeing as it was actually inauguration day, sort of. I mostly talked of how, while I am looking forward to his term in office, I worry that the world has placed impossible expectations on him. In the current state of the world, can he really do everything we hoped for? Is it fair to expect him to be able to do it all? He is just one man. While I believe, after reading his book The Audacity of Hope that he will do his best to maintain his beliefs and policies while handling the current political and economic environment, it is impossible for him to do everything. I worry that people will not be patient enough for him to make a difference before they turn on him.

On Wednesday (the inauguration took place at 3 am Japan time) everyone wanted to know if I had seen it. They had watched the parade on tv in the morning. The Kyoto newspaper had his speech already translated into Japanese. The front page was Obama and his wife at the inauguration. It seemed that everyone was talking about Obama on the radio and TV.

My ALT friends kept talking about how their kids were saying "Change" and "Yes We Can" all the time.

Finally, my friend Paulette found this in Osaka...

From Drop Box

It amazes me that the inauguration of the President of the United States causes such a stir, but in September when the Prime Minister of Japan stepped down (third time in 3 years) and they had to elect a new one (again), no one mentioned it at all. The inauguration of President Obama got more press in Japan than the election of their own Prime Minister.

It has really shown me the real impact that America has on the rest of the world. Everything our country does is watched and discussed. It also illustrates, I think, the continuing relationship between Japan and the US. They are still very much like our little brother though they have distanced themselves in many ways.