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    Event Calendar Item

  • New JCCH Exhibit - Obama no Obama

  • Type: Art Exhibit
    Date: November 5 - December 2, 2011
    Time: see notes
    Location:
    Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i
    Community Gallery
    2454 South Beretania Street
    Honolulu, Hawai'i 96826

    For more information call (808) 945-7633
    View Map
    Cost: Free
An Exhibition About Politics, Celebrity, and International Ties.

November 5–December 2
Opening Ceremony
Thursday, November 10–5:00 pm

Obama-shi, Fukui Prefecture: Town of “Yes We Can!”
By: Christine R. Yano

The story of Obama-shi’s (Obama town) adoption of Barack Obama and subsequent development of Obama goods takes place amidst a backdrop of economic struggle common to rural areas in Japan in the 2000s. The crux here is a strongly entrepreneurial spirit bolstered by what might be called— in the words of a popular Obama catch-phrase—“Yes we can!”. That sentiment may also be echoed in the Japanese value of gambaru (striving with perseverance). This is part of what links this exhibition with the Cultural Center and its emphasis on values.

The story of Obama-shi as a town of “Yes we can!” begins with a duly noted incident: when then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama was interviewed in 2006 by Japanese television network TBS, he noted that Japanese immigration officials looked at his visa and said that he must be from the town of Obama. This caught the attention of a few individuals in Obama-shi in Fukui prefecture, who were pleased and felt that a connection with the U.S. presidential candidate could be good for the town. Then-Mayor Toshio Murakami sent Obama a pair of the local lacquer chopsticks and a letter wishing him well. The desire to develop ties to Barack Obama grew rapidly through a consortium of businessmen and city officials. For political reasons, these efforts could not be an official project of the city government; thus, the “Obama for Obama Support Group” was born, headed by businessman Seiji Fujiwara with unofficial backing of the city administration. The rest—branded goods with Barack Obama’s figure, statue in town, Obama Girls and Boys hula troupe, and more—is history.

The portrait of Obama-shi and its spearheading of Obama-mania in Japan must be framed within the “Yes we can!” spirit of gambaru— developing economic opportunities upon the most tentative of ties, growing a brand to create an identity, spinning new ideas of viability. Even when sales of Obama goods show signs of waning, the spirit continues. That spirit finds its way through the halls of the city government, through businesses that keep plugging away, through a hula troupe that continues to practice and perform, spreading good cheer. Throughout our stay, we noted again and again the energetic drive, initiative, and personal concern that brings the caption “Obama—The ‘Yes we can!’ Town” to life. The exhibition will also include Obama goods from Hawai’i allowing for a comparison with Japanese Obama goods.

For the grand opening of the exhibit on November 10, we have invited Mayor Koji Matsuzaki, Mr. Seiji Fujiwara, head of “Obama for Obama Support Group,” and members of the Obama Girls and Boys hula troupe. They are busy making their travel plans. We invite you to join us in welcoming them and celebrating their “Yes we can!” spirit.

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