What does Japan think of Obama?
A Tokyo Broadcasting director called the United States the “closest friend” of Japan, citing that as the main reason Japan was so interested in the elections. However, a national poll from The Nippon Foundation shows that half the population doesn’t think the relation between Japan and the US is that good. The director was
right in one thing though: the Japanese had their noses pressed against the window of the show called the US elections, with media covering the issue almost daily.
The public correctly predicted Obama as the next president in the same poll, but also states they’re not expecting him to improve relations much. Obama did make a phone call to Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, discussing the global financial crisis, Afghanistan, climate change and North Korea. But with the current credit crunch, a war in Iraq he wishes to withdraw from and the whole world watching to see him make his promises true, probably Japan is not at the top of his list. So what exactly can the Japanese expect from the 44th president of the United States? Just like the rest of the world, they will have to wait and see…
