In the United States (where a fair number of us UJ-ers hail from), the presidential race has been set on its ear this summer. The ascent of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the Democratic Party’s ticket has energized Democrats and infuriated Republicans.
What does Japan think of all of this? If a new poll is to be believed, the nation’s looking forward to a coconut-pilled presidency.
75% want a Harris presidency?
The 59-year-old Harris rocketed to the top of the Democratic ticket when President Joe Biden stepped down over concerns about his age. Since then, Harris has led a renewed burst of enthusiasm for those opposed to a non-contiguous second Trump term.
Since launching her run, Harris has hauled in an impressive $540 million in campaign contributions. $82 million of that came during the Democrat’s successful National Convention. On social media, many Democrats applaud Harris’ selection of Tim Walz as her Vice Presidential candidate, with the Minnesota governor earning the title of “America’s dad.”
Meanwhile, things aren’t as happy in MAGA-land. The 79-year-old Trump appears to be losing steam. Heโs decreased his in-person appearances, leading to polling drops in key swing states. His VP candidate, JD Vance, has cornered the key incel bro constituency talking about “childless cat ladies” but seems stumped on how to order donuts. The derailment has even led some prominent conservativesย to call for the campaign to get its act together.
What do people in Japan think about this? According to a poll from Mainichi Shimbun conducted on the 24th and 25th, a full 75% of respondents want a Harris presidency. Only 16% say they’re looking forward to Trump winning. 8% are still, somehow, undecided.
Mainichi didn’t publish many details about the survey, so it’s hard to verify its veracity. (If they publish more specifics, I’ll update this article.) However, the poll marks a rare temperature check of Japanese opinions on the US election by a major and trusted Japanese news source.
Trump’s attempts to “make Japan pay” may have backfired
What could explain this antipathy towards Donald Trump?
There could be multiple reasons at play, the least of which being…well, he’s Donald Trump. He’s a liar, a convicted criminal, and a wannabe autocrat. That’s enough for any fan of democracy and freedom to give him the thumbs down.
But of course, this isn’t Japan’s first exposure to the man so inept at business that he can somehow bankrupt a casino. Trump was US president for four long years.
He made some allies in Japan during that stint. In particular, he had a close working relationship with former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. He lamented Abe’s loss when the conservative leader of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party was assassinated in 2022.
However, he didn’t impress much of the Japanese public with his policies. A 2020 poll by NHK showed a lack of enthusiasm for a second Trump term as well. 57% polled thought he would have a negative influence on US-Japan relations. In addition, 81% of respondents opposed Trump’s plan to make Japan pay more for the US military base in Okinawa.
Additionally, a full 80% of respondents opposed Trump’s “America First” rhetoric. It’s rhetoric that Trump continues to hammer home in his 2024 campaign, claiming he’ll slap a more than 10% tariff on goods imported from other nations.
Trump’s supporters in Japan
Trump has had some high-profile critics in Japan. Reporter Egawa Shoko, who survived an attack from the Aum Shinrikyo cult, talked about the parallels between Aum and the Trump campaign. In particular, former Aum head Asahara Shoko, like Trump, claimed election fraud when he lost a bid for Japan’s House of Representatives.
However, this doesn’t mean that Trump doesn’t have a Japan fan club. As reporter and foreign policy expert Takahashi Kosuke noted in 2020, the ex-President had a strong coterie of supporters here who echoed his contentions that the 2020 election was “stolen.” Some continue to champion his cause today on social media.
What draws Trump’s Japanese supporters to him? Takahashi says Trump’s China-bashing is a key reason some throw in with him. Anti-Chinese racism permeates the Japanese right-wing. Many welcome an American president who they hope will make Beijing’s life miserable.
The sad truth is that Trump’s brand of strongman totalitarianism has been in vogue for the past decade or so. The rise of autocrats across the globe has shown that a dictator can get far by convincing the public that he hates the same people they do.
As an American living in Japan, I’m crossing my fingers from across the Pacific that, come November, my fellow citizens are able to see through the rhetoric and cast a vote for a better, more positive future. A Harris victory will pull the US back from the brink of dictatorship. And it’ll mean better relations for the US and Japan to boot.
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Sources
ๆฌกใฎ็ฑณๅคง็ตฑ้ ๆๅพ ใใใชในๆฐ75๏ผ ใใใฉใณใๆฐ16๏ผ ใๆฏๆฅๆฐ่ไธ่ซ่ชฟๆป. Mainichi Shimbun
ๆฅๆฌใจใขใกใชใซใซ้ขใใไธ่ซ่ชฟๆปใNHK News
‘This is a problem’: The Trump train is running out of steam. Daily Kos
How Harris Made Trump the Incumbent. Talking Points Memo
Kamala Harris raised $82 million during the Democratic convention. USA Today
JD Vance’s donut shop visit goes viral, internet calls it ‘awkward,’ ‘cringe’. USA Today
JD Vance went viral for โcat ladyโ comments. The centuries-old trope has a long tail. NPR
Conservative think tank senior fellow: GOP may ‘deserve to lose this yearโs election’. Alternet
ใใฉใณใๆฐใๅฎๅๆฐใใชใใชใใใฟใใใใๅฝ่ฌใงๅฃฐๆ. Yomiuri Shimbun
ๆฅๆฌใฎใใฉใณใๆฏๆ่ ใซไธ้ฝๅใชไบๅฎ. Yahoo! News
