What Japanese really think of Donald Trump

For the most part, Japan doesn’t really participate in political comedy.

Social norms combine to make sarcasm a hard thing to convey in Japanese, and so satirizing a world leader becomes an extremely difficult endeavor.

But Donald Trump has caught the Japanese public’s imagination in a big way, with his unique flair for the mellowdramatic in speeches and public appearances. His daughter got a hint of the REAL reception.

Trump has inspired manga (comic books), and masks in Japan, and he’s inspired a parody by Japanese comedian Razor Ramon RG in which the real estate-mogul-turned-politician is lampooned as relying on easy stereotypes and a pronounced fondness for the phrase “Get out [of] here!” (You're fired!)

Trump is seen as arrogant, unpredictable and divisive.

In Japan, Donald Trump would not have a prayer of getting into government.

A a mere 7 per cent have a positive personal impression of Donald Trump.

Asked to choose the attributes that most accurately describe Trump, Japanese people selected “arrogant”, “unpredictable” and “divisive”.

“Everything I have seen tells me that he’s eccentric and egocentric.”

“I can’t understand his policies; he hates immigrants yet his wife is an immigrant and his own family originally came from overseas. How can he be so black-and-white on such an issue?"

Every time I see him on television, he reminds me of Kim Jong-un.”

BTW, Tokyo contributes ¥192 billion (US$1.84 billion) every year to cover the costs of US forces in Japan.

“Trump’s kind of politics – the bombast, the arrogance, the anger – simply do not play well to a Japanese audience.” [Except as COMEDY!]

“From what they see of him on TV or read about what he has said in the papers, they see him as not a very pleasant person.”

“That kind of personality is very offensive to the Japanese people.”

Therefore, there is an exception - when it comes to making fun of -- and laughing at -- Donald Trump.