Welcome to Obama, Japan:

In Obama City this stirred interest. A local Buddhist monk, Mr. Tamaga wa, suggested to the mayor then, Toshio Murakami, that he contact the senator, which he did, sending him a letter and a set of local lacquered chop sticks. An Obama support committee was formed, T-shirts were printed, ties manufactured, support rallies held, the Obama Girls, a 70-strong Hawaiian Hula dancing group, gave performances (Senator Obama was born in Hawaii), and an Obama for Obama campaign became fully fledged.

Senator Obama has since thanked the town for their gifts and support, saying “I look forward to a future marked by the continued friendship of our two great nations and a shared commitment to a better, freer world.” As his profile has risen so has the attention generated by the Obama for Obama campaign, but has all this effort translated into more business? The committee is pragmatic. Mr Fujiwara, the chairman, explained that all over Japan the economy had been dropping, but they had managed, because of the Obama for Obama effort, to keep their economy level.

While the initial motivation for the connection was to boost local business – two of the key members of the support committee are Mr. Sano, who runs two souvenir shops selling a good selection of Obama goods, and Mr. Fujiwara, who runs one of Obama’s largest hotels – there is a genuine sense of real support for the senator. Like most of the world, they are disgusted by the Bush presidency and see Obama as a beacon of hope.