American Election in Japan

This was the first American election that I've experienced on foreign soil.  Amazingly (or maybe I don't fully appreciate the power of America in the world) Japan had complete uninterrupted coverage.  And perhaps it's not a surprise that they were calling states before the American media.  We are in the land of tomorrow.

Japanese TV coverage of the election

What I wish I had a picture of was the non-American members of the orchestra taking pictures of us gathered around the TV during our break to watch the results.  I borrow one of their pictures posted to Facebook.

Watching the election coverage

It's become so common that American presidential elections are a big deal for us.  Weeks, months worth of media coverage and build-up to this final day.  Winners and losers are determined and the next four years of leadership decided.  The election also says something about the current make-up of the country, the "true" poll of how many people feel one way or another about how the country should be run.  There is absolutely nothing strange about running to the television on the orchestra break to see the latest news.  In some ways it would be strange not to do so.  And so it was amusing to see how this was a phenomenon for the non-American members of the orchestra.

I'm a little more aware of the place that America holds in the world.  How much power we have, and how much everyone is watching us.  Our votes resonate beyond our borders.  And from thousands of miles away, it was touching to hear Obama speak about what makes America exceptional:  our diversity and the strength of the bonds that hold us together.  It is a truly diverse fabric that we've created and a incredible process of cooperation.  It's something that I think I often don't fully appreciate when I'm there.