Arata Yamamoto, NBC News Producer
TOKYO – “Yes we can! Obama!” roared Japanese men and women in hula-dance costumes on national television. They’re members of possibly the most ardent of Barack Obama supporters in Japan, a small fishing town in western Japan with a population of 32,000 which shares the same name as the new president-elect.
After Obama’s election victory, it seemed like every Japanese television network descended on the town of Obama to capture the jubilation of residents celebrating with their Hawaiian-themed dancing and singing (a tribute to Obama’s birthplace) and hoping that their tie to the ever-popular next president of the United States will boost local business and tourism.
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| EPA |
| Members of a local Hula dance group ‘Obama Hula Girls’ stand in a circle during a celebration party held at the city hall in Obama City, a fishing port town in Japan, on Wednesday. |
In Japan, the excitement was hardly limited to the town of Obama, which translates in English to “little beach.” At the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, more than 500 university students gathered to watch the election coverage. The election has ramification across the globe, said Masashi Yamashita, 22. “Change is important not just for the United States, but also for Japan. If the U.S. changes, so will the rest of the world.”
It’s no surprise to see the outpouring of excitement here about Obama’s victory at the polls: a July Gallup poll found that 66 percent of the Japanese respondents favored Obama, overshadowing John McCain’s 15 percent.
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