Issue:

The U.S. Republican presidential nominee, as reported on by Japan’s lively tabloids.

Trump’d!

by MARK SCHREIBER

Shukan Diamond (April 90) showed the “hidden face” of Trump, who it described as “the worst candidate in history.” (And also gave the reasons why “strongest candidate in history,” Hillary Clinton, is so disliked.)

Shukan Post (April 22) raised 10 “surprising points” that Donald Trump has in common with the late Kakuei Tanaka. (Item 4: “His familiar and generous style was able to capture the people’s hearts”.)

Nikkan Gendai (May 19) noted common points that Trump and Shinzo Abe appear to share with Adolf Hitler.

Shukan Bunshun (May 26), in which columnist Isao Iijima wrote: “Even if Trump is elected, the Japan-U.S. alliance will be daijobu.”

Shukan Shincho (May 26), in which author of Eternal Zero fame and former NHK director Naoki Hyakuta suggested that through Trump’s election, Hyakuta’s allegorical fantasy novel published earlier this year, Kaeru no Rakuen (“The Paradise of Frogs”) – about two idealistic frogs named Socrates and Robert who travel to the peaceful and prosperous country of “Napaaju,” where its amphibian inhabitants are obliged to follow a set of strange decrees – will come to be viewed as a “prophetic work.”

Friday (May 27) claimed that in anticipation of Trump being elected president, Abe’s office has been assembling “personal data,” on Trump, which include acts of domestic violence and the rape of his former wife.

WiLL (July) featured Hideaki Kase’s commentary on the Trump phenomenon – described as “already shocked speechless.”

Shukan Jitsuwa (June 9) predicted that if Hillary Clinton defeats Trump in November, the “secret file” regarding the “aliens” supposedly found in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 will finally be made public.

Shukan Gendai (June 11) envisaged the scenario for Trump’s assassination, to take place at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 18.

Sapio (July) contributor Nobuhiko Ochiai wrote that the “Fall of America” mantra being spun by Trump can trace its beginnings to events that occurred in 1968, such as the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in Los Angeles.

Sunday Mainichi (June 12): “This is what’s really behind the popularity of Trump, the king of bluster.” (Sub-head: “What on earth is happening in America?”)

Asahi Geino (June 16) looked back at Trump’s supposed interest in romancing the late Princess Diana following her divorce, and then predicted, “Under ‘President Trump,’ the heretofore Japan-U.S. relationship will undergo extreme changes of the most outrageous kind!”

Yukan Fuji (June 10) Thursday columnist Tony “Texas Oyaji” Marano denounced the anti-Trump demonstrators at a rally in San Jose, California as being boryokuteki chimpira (violent punks).


– Mark Schreiber