Feh, as usual, he is full of shit. He links to a story in the WAPO by a Japanese woman. She quotes stories from the papers over here in Japan. Problem is she doesn't mention that in Japan there isn't any real freedom of the press they print what they are told here. ALL of the papers lean heavily right. The rest of the woman's story is a bunch of whining about how the Japanese just don't know what Obama is going to do?!? Oh my.
But during my recent trip, I saw that this is such an emotional issue for the Japanese that it's almost impossible to have a rational discussion. Meeting with old friends or conversing over the dinner table with relatives, I was accused of being an apologist for U.S. policy and naive about Kim Jong Il's ruthlessness. --WAPO
She probably even talked to some cab drivers. This is exactly the kind of "reporting" I expect from the WAPO. First off it's silly to describe any of this as a "emotional" issue here. The Japanese are not known for their emotive ability and good luck trying to have anything but a "rational discussion". Please. This reporter sounds like one of those Japanese who live a abroad so long they have a image of Japan in their head that does not resemble Japan at all. Americans abroad do this to the U.S. in abundance.
Reynolds, of course, misinterprets this because he wants to. What is really is going on here is that tons of Japanese are, for the first time in 10 years, very excited about America, and American politics.
The entire city of Obama here is freaking out. Now I will admit there are some who are nervous. This would be the Japanese politicians. Partly this is the beginning of the Japanese negotiating stance and partly it's because for a decade the Repub's have been telling the Japanese that the Democrats are bad for them. The people in Japan are in a totally different space. Much like the states, they are way ahead of the leadership.
This article by Ayako Doi is typical Japanese, long on fluff and short on substance.
The WAPO will print anything these days, particular if it reflects poorly on the President-Elect.
