Japan reacts to Biden victory

Nov 09, 2020 | News On Japan

Nov 09, 2020 (NHKn) - The transition to a new US administration will have worldwide implications. People in Japan have been speaking about their expectations for the next president's handling of global issues.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide was among world leaders who congratulated Biden. On Twitter, Suga wrote that he's looking forward to further strengthening the US-Japan alliance.

The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, also voiced its support for President-elect Biden. Chairman Nakanishi Hiroaki said he expects Biden to play a leading role in containing the coronavirus pandemic and achieving a global economic recovery.

People in the two Japanese cities devastated by the US nuclear attacks in 1945 also have high hopes for the President-elect.

Biden was vice president when Barack Obama became the first US leader to visit Hiroshima. The survivors want Biden to make progress in eliminating the deadly weapons.

Atomic bomb survivor Tanaka Shigemitsu said, "I want Biden to urge the nuclear powers and countries under their nuclear umbrellas to take action. I want him to visit the Peace Memorial Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome, and directly hear the stories of the hibakusha."

US foreign policy is also important for the families whose loved ones were abducted by North Korea. Iizuka Shigeo, the representative of the abductees' families, told NHK they hope Biden will follow Trump's pledge to help resolve the issue.

People in central Tokyo are also interested in how the new US leader will handle pressing issues for America and the rest of the world.

In Shibuya, a woman in her 20s said, "If Biden takes strong measures against the coronavirus, the US should be able to control its cases a bit more. I hope people will be able to travel more freely."

A man in 20s said, " I hope the United States will become a country without racial discrimination, and that other countries will follow suit."

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