Watching presidential election results from Japan
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A newsstand in Yokohama, days before the 2024 presidential election. Photo: Justin L. Mack/Axios
Even while I was nearly 6,500 miles away from home in Japan for a trip to celebrate six years of marriage with my wife, the 2024 presidential election was impossible to avoid.
The big picture: The entire world was watching as the battle between President-elect Trump and Vice President Harris came to an end, knowing that either outcome would have an impact felt far beyond the borders of the U.S.
Zoom in: To get the true experience of tracking an American election overseas, I stuck to only Japanese media outlets and on-the-ground conversations for updates as we explored Yokohama and Tokyo.
- As the polls opened in Indiana, we were surrounded by American tourists and expats keeping an eye on the proceedings from the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in Tokyo's Nakano Ward.
- I was at an event called "Tatakai Tuesday," a long-running weekly meetup for fighting game enthusiasts.
- Instead of arguing Trump vs. Harris, tourists argued over Tekken 8, Guilty Gear Strive and card games.
State of play: Breakfast on Wednesday morning in Japan coincided with the polls closing in America.
- As we took public transit from Yokohama to Tokyo to tour the Imperial Palace, TV screens in the stations and on the trains were broadcasting rolling election updates via Japan's "NHK Pickup News."
- Fast-scrolling Japanese text paired with images of Trump, Harris and large yellow question marks communicated that a winner still hadn't been declared.
Between the lines: As the day rolled on and a Trump victory came into focus, social media algorithms pushed local breaking news stories to the top of my feeds.
- They included a short piece about the Japanese government aiming to quickly build a relationship of trust with the next commander in chief and a long editorial examining what changes would come with Trump's return to power.
- There were also clips recapping a rally held by Trump supporters in Osaka the week before, complete with a giant Trump mikoshi — a portable Shinto shrine — being paraded through the streets.
Craving a slice of home away from home, we ended the day at Soul Food House, a Black-owned soul food restaurant in Tokyo's Azabu-Juban neighborhood.
- The owners, who describe it as a "pocket dimension where people can come to experience America without paying for the plane ticket," opened the restaurant in 2015 to serve up American Southern and Cajun cuisine.
- But there were no TVs — or any sign of an election — when we stepped inside. Just the smell of fried catfish and gumbo cooking as "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keys poured from the dining room speakers.
The bottom line: Watching the election from the other side of the globe was a good way to take it in without being completely consumed by it.