Japan Loves Hillary

It was just like an appearance of a Kabuki star on stage. Japanese media enthusiastically reported an official announcement of a Democratic candidate, Hillary R. Clinton running for U.S. presidential election next year. Major newspapers reported the news on the front page, just like telling new viable candidate for Japanese Prime Minister was found. It was disappointedly not that. Strange Hillary fever reflects baseless expectation of the Japanese for her to be next President of the United States.

Newspapers introduced Clinton as a former first lady of Bill Clinton administration and a former Secretary of State in Barack Obama administration, who firstly visited Japan in her tenure. As Secretary of State, she actually announced that Senkaku Islands were within the realm of Article 5 of U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, which was distortedly recognized by the Japanese as U.S. guarantee of siding Japan in a military collision between Japan and China. Media organizations look crazy about finding a connection between Japan and Clinton.

Asahi Shimbun ran a headline of “It’s Your Time,” a phrase which Clinton used for urging U.S. people new action. Mainichi focused on her performance of selling freshness, quoting her statement of introducing her new grandchild, new mail account and willingness for new relationship with media. Yomiuri reported negative aspect of her with episodes of her image of aloof or cold, indicating the paper’s expectation for Republican president. Tokyo quoted her comment of “Everyday Americans need a champion. I want to be that champion” in English, that might risk losing subscribers who had not obtained good score in English class.

Basically the expectation of the Japanese is for the first female president in U.S. But they will not be satisfied with any woman presidency. She needs to be typical white American woman with blue eyes and blond heir. Hillary passed that unnecessary test. Most male in administrative position in media organizations believe that Hillary is cute girl, embracing an image of her in younger age, which men who worked for her in Whitehouse or State Department never experienced.

The Japanese are happy enough to care for a political leader in other nations. Hillary’s standpoint close to Japan as Secretary of State was not for the Japanese, but for her political standpoint in U.S. The episode does not guarantee her unchanged engagement with Japan in her possible presidency. Republican Presidents have traditionally been closer to Japan than Democratic ones.

If Hillary could not make her presidency next year, the Japanese will disappointed for a day. They will not care it next day, anyway. That is why the news about Hillary in Japan is not political, but gossip.