Japanese Relishing Blanket Coverage of U.S. Election

Japan breathed a collective sigh of relief when Missouri Rep. Richard A. Gephardt’s bid for the U.S. presidency ran into trouble in last week’s Super Tuesday contests. But the interest here in American electoral politics goes far beyond loathing Gephardt’s trade policies.

Gephardt had proposed restricting access to American markets to foreign competitors who do not meet American standards of opening their own markets. Threats like that are alarming here, to say the least.

But even with Democrat Gephardt’s campaign floundering, the Japanese news media continue to provide blanket coverage of the presidential race. Readers and viewers are at times perplexed, but there is a strong sense that America’s convoluted political process affects people’s lives here.

‘Economies Intertwined’

“It’s awfully complicated,” said a 31-year-old employee of a securities company. “I’m not sure exactly what Super Tuesday is supposed to be about, but I know it’s important. Our economies are intertwined.”

Part of the interest stems from a reverence for U.S. democratic traditions. Japan adopted certain political values and institutions from America after World War II--but still functions with what is virtually a one-party system. The general public watched passively from the sidelines last year when a new prime minister was chosen in back-room negotiations between rival factions of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has ruled without serious challenge for some three decades.

“We feel from time to time as though we’re living in a country where the central committee of the Communist Party or the military junta makes all the decisions, far removed from the people,” said Yukio Matsuyama, editorial board chairman of the Asahi newspaper. “We have a government of the factions, by the factions and for the factions.”

When it comes to choosing America’s leader, the Japanese can seem as though they reside in the 51st state. Primary debates are shown on Japanese television, and they enjoy high viewer ratings. Presidential candidates have been chided in Japanese newspaper editorials, as if they were under scrutiny by potential constituents, for not having sufficiently concrete plans to curb the U.S. budget deficit, which is blamed in these parts for aggravating the trade imbalance.

Keep Track of Results

Vicarious participation is not limited to concern about the issues. Candidates’ personalities and looks are brought up in cocktail talk. Some Japanese keep track of primary and caucus results like dedicated sports fans.

“Japanese don’t care about elections in France or Britain, but we know a lot about American politics,” said Kuniko Inoguchi, an associate professor of political science at Tokyo’s Sophia University. “I think people in Tokyo probably have a greater interest in the primaries than your typical American citizen.”

Heightened interest in U.S.-style democracy may be influencing the Japanese political scene, Inoguchi said.

“People are watching the debates, and saying, ‘Why don’t we have them in Japan?’ ” she said. “The rule has always been that silence is golden. But we’ll soon see a new generation of LDP leaders who are more open and clear and eloquent.”

The new, bolder style was demonstrated with mixed results by former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone. He left office when his term as party leader expired last October to some criticism that he had stressed style over substance. Noboru Takeshita, the LDP factional strongman who succeeded Nakasone, is of the old mold. While Takeshita may appear colorless, he also embodies cardinal political virtues, such as modesty.

“Too often, what seems important isn’t what U.S presidential candidates say, but how they say it--they act like they’re on a publicity campaign for the new Coca-Cola,” commented the Asahi’s Matsuyama. “In Japan, what’s important isn’t charisma but a flare for cooperation and patience. Mr. Takeshita will never pretend to be more capable than he really is.”

Mudslinging Frowned Upon

Mudslinging among U.S. presidential candidates, however, is regarded with horror by even the most ardent fans of U.S. democracy. In Japan, harmony and social grace are prized.

“Every time I cover an American election, I can’t help but feel that yours is a society of confrontation and hatred,” said Matsuyama, who was an Asahi correspondent for many years in Washington and New York. “It’s no wonder (that) your best statesmen refrain from running.”

Many Japanese favor Vice President George Bush in the race because he represents continuity and stability, a ranking LDP member of Parliament said. He added, though, that people tend to exaggerate the potential for bilateral ties worsening with a change in administration.

“I don’t think it matters who becomes President,” he said. “One man can’t get into the White House and change the basis of U.S.-Japan relations. Even if it’s Gephardt--he’d be forced to soften his views.”