Obama, Japan

The Japan Times today did an article on the celebration in Obama, Japan. Obama is a small fishing town, not much above 30,000 residents, in Fukui prefecture, about two hours from Kyoto. The word “obama” in Japanese means “little beach”. There are many clips on You Tube of a musical group singing a tribute song titled “Obama is Beautiful”. I must warn, it’s quite bad, but as they say, it’s the thought that counts. I am feeling a sense of pride today that’s been missing. I smiled tonight when I got an email from a French person we’ve come to know because he manages wine tasting events in Tokyo. The email was titled “Congratulations…we fall again in love for USA!”. Reading the news, listening to the television, hearing people talk, the hope in America the results of this election have restored seems mammoth. For me, it’s a renewed faith in the American progressive spirit that has me smiling.
Japan Times Article:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20081106a3.html