Hillary's Visit = Good

I've lived here through several US elections and have often seen my Japanese acquaintances boil the entire Presidential race down to a single issue, usually "So and so will be good for Japan" or "He doesn't like Japan."

Time and again, though they might admire her, many Japanese were of the persuasion that Presidential Wannbe or Secretary of State Hillary Clinton doesn't like Japan -- she prefers China.

I think some of this perception was due to a remark she said a few years ago (?) along the lines of "In the 21st century, the US relationship with China will be of the greatest importance." Ok, yeah, she didn't say Japan was No. 1 but c'mon, I doubt there's a lot of Brits whining that the US doesn't like the UK because it likes China. (I'm sure they're whining about something else...) OF COURSE the relationship between the US and China will affect the whole world, can anyone disagree with that? and OF COURSE Japan is important to the US as an ally, in fact perhaps for that very reason.

ANYhew, maybe against her wishes (ha ha), President Obama sent Hillary here on her first trip abroad as his Secretary of State. Abroad? Secretary? I can hear the punch lines now. He also invited PM Aso to visit the USA, as the first foreign head of state to be invited to the US. The Japanese public seems pleased by this but I have a feeling it won't make it into their long term memory. Sorry to be blunt but the complaining reminds me of an 8-year old with a box full of toys who screams at his parents "You never buy me anything!" In that situation, my reaction is, might as well not buy anything.

But Hillary came and everybody I talk to seems impressed. She carried herself well, held up under a hard schedule--- I think the real feeling that comes out is she seems to be in such stark contrast to the unpopular Aso administration. Icing on the cake, same time as Hillary's visit, Aso's finance minister had to resign because during a financial crisis with worse news every day, he shows up slobbering drunk for a press conference at the G-7 conference in Italy.

So what people here see on TV is Hillary Clinton, attractive, intelligent, successful, self made, almost president of the USA (like her or not you have to admit people see these qualities in her), traveling around the world on little sleep, no problem, followed by news stories of their elite scion, hostess-bar-VIP, Prime Minister who can't read Japanese characters very well, and his finance minister red faced and slurring his speech before the international press. I'm not necessarily making these calls, just reporting on the mood.

It's kind of like during the 80's and it seemed like Japan Inc. was gonna take over the world, POTUS No. 41, George H. W. Bush, (nickname "Magog" in Skull and Bones secret society for his sexual prowess) came over here and threw up in the lap of the Japanese PM. An embarrassing own goal when you're already down 3-1.