This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

Barack Obama is already having a global impact. The Japanese are using his speeches to help teach English. In fact, a book with his collected speeches is currently at the top of the bestseller list on Amazon’s Japanese website. Japanese English learners find Obama’s speeches moving and positive in a way that the speeches of Japanese politicians apparently are not. They also contain a lot of words and phrases that are easy to memorize such as “Yes, we can,” “change” and “hope.” Asahi Press plans to bring out a second book that puts Obama in good company: the book will include not only Obama’s inaugural address but also Kennedy’s AND Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. Ask not what your speeches can do for your country but what they can do for Japan!

From the Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.