Is Barack Obama's election as U.S. president good news for Japan?

At least in Obama Japan they are celebrating now I am sure!

They simply changed the color of the puppet. The puppeteers are the same, so I don't expect much change.

It's bad news for the makers of Palin's glasses.

sabi - Could you tell us who these "puppeteers" are? Thanks.

Yes, now Japan can focus on their own elections and worry who is the PM of Japan.

Well for the US, japan is just one of hundreds of countries in the world. Nothing special.

Not quite WMD, not as simple as that. Japan is an important country due to its enormous power (wealth and all that) and also serves strategically in that area (China, North Korea, etc.). Not only from an economic standpoint of trade, but in many other world issues Japan continues to be an important country for the U.S. to deal with.

Sarge, Nobody can describe well within one post who is behind Obama, McCain, and the election process. But I suspect its the same people who are behind the politicians in Japan. Anyway, the following video should give a good idea who it is (although I have not see all of it yet): http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4430543376785758889&hl=en

With Chicago resident Obama as the US president, it might be slightly less likely that Tokyo will host the Olympics in 2016, which Chicago is also up for. Not sure if that is better or worse for Japan.

Japan or Jamaica will be treated equally, Japan's 'omiyage' diplomacy may not work with Obama admn.

I don't really see how it is 'good' for Japan. Although Obama is not nearly the warhawk bush wanted to be and was (despite never offering to fight himself!), for some reason I get the feeling he's going to be a little more frank with Japan than previous presidents have been, and will put Japan in its place. I think Obama's going to focus more strongly on resolving SERIOUS international disputes/crises than poking around in Japan's bilateral affairs, for example. We'll see, I guess, but I think Japan's going to be seen even more for the dependent suckling it is, and there won't be any of the back scratching that existed under bush.

Default in US treasuries and weak dollar resulting in Obama's excessive spending and ridiculous monetary policy is not going to be good for Japan.

Early days yet....

Who cares if it's good for Japan? It's good for the US.

Is very simple, anyone that really try to fix the US economy is good for J. People more interested in ask for more money and soldiers for wars is bad for J. In the rest is indiferent for japanese because for us democrats and republicans looks like LDP and DPJ, we really dont know what is the difference bettwen one and another :D

nisegaijin: "Default in US treasuries and weak dollar resulting in Obama's excessive spending and ridiculous monetary policy is not going to be good for Japan."

Not too many of you guys left on this site after yesterday. Anyway, his monetary policies are worse than.... whose? Bush's? The man who set the current economic crisis in motion and turned a surplus into the largest debt in US history -- plus had 5 of the worst defecit years recorded in his eight? please! Or do you mean McCain's 'imaginary' policies? where he said he was going to fix the economy but could never quite bother to getting around to saying HOW he would do it. It was just a magic monetary policy.

Regardless, as one poster said, whether or not it's good for Japan is irrelevant -- it's good for the US, which means it's good for Americans. Enjoy it.

Obama is the 44th U.S. president. In Japan, 44 means "death-death," so Obama is the Death-Death President! Nyuk nyuk nyuk!

oh sarge, you have gone from plain annoying to now pure childish. Is that how you respond to the huge loss yesterday?

zurc - I can't help it if you have no sense of humor. OK, how's this:

All hail President Obama!

Sarge,

Yes, he is your President too. And even though you cant figure it out he will be better for you than bush ever was. That is the dirty secret of the republican right wing community. You guys always vote against your own interests.

zurcronium- Hey lay off Sarge, he is a true American.

This news is bad for japan and the whole world. I am suffering, knowing how my great nation shall collapse and the good people will support the lazy.

How can this injustice be a good thing for Japan?

zurc - "he ( Obama ) will be better for you than bush ever was"

I seriously doubt it. For my friends living in the States, when Bush's tax cuts expire, they'll be paying more. And they make less than $200,000 a year.

I am suffering, knowing how my great nation shall collapse

newsflash, you are a few years too late. open your curtains

if japanese (and pro-obama gaijin) think having more young and unemployed Americans turning up on these shores seeking gainful employment then yes, obama is good for japan.

"It will take Democrats and Republicans working together"

Democrat policies bite the big one, and with the Democrats in charge of the White House and the Congress, it's going to be next to impossible to do what's right for the foreseeable future.

BlackFlag - The U.S. hasn't collapsed yet. Give the new president some time, will ya?

We're talking here about US foreign policy wrt Japan, not Democratic platform planks in the US.

In that regard, I expect Obama will be neither good, nor bad for Japan. Regardless of who's Prez, US policy toward Japan has been pretty much unchanged for decades - no real reason to alter it.

He'll likely visit a few times, make a celebrity splash, nod his head at on-going economic and global cooperation, grimace thoughtfully over US military bases - but otherwise do nothing.

The only possible big deal is if Japan, U.S., China relations end up getting complicated. Even there, things might look dicey for a while, but no one is going to war; it'd be bad for business...

Not just good for the USA and Japan, but possibly good for the world.

"possibly good for the world"

Some Japanese people have said Barack's comment "We're going to change America and CHANGE THE WORLD" is arrogant.

Moderator: It is not necessary to refer to Obama as Barack. His surname will do.

The election of Barack Obama was good on one point, and one point alone: For the first time in National History, someone other than a white/caucasion has been elected President of the USA. This proves to the world that the days of Selma, montgomery, and Jim Crow are a thing of the past.

aside form that, there is no more good news.....

hopefully he will see the evil north korea and the determination for them to destroy japan. we shall see if he is another carter. another clinton trying to love thy nieghbor for campain contributions.

as one who doesn't make enough money to pay taxes(US taxes), I am soooo waiting for my tax cut...

I imagine the Obama years will be very much like the Carter years.