A Strong Start for Obama (JAPAN)

U.S. President Barack Obama campaigned on a platform of "change." Change was plainly visible throughout his first overseas trip as president. Perhaps the most compelling sign of change was not of his doing: Throughout the weeklong tour of Europe, Mr. Obama was greeted with an enthusiasm that posed a stark contrast to the reception of his predecessor and should put to rest any thoughts about the erosion of U.S. standing in the world. Go beyond the atmospherics, however, and the change is a little more difficult to discern. While Mr. Obama has promised a different foreign policy, his nation's interests and the problems he and other leaders face remain the same.

The hype surrounding Mr. Obama was evident throughout his first stop, the Group of 20 meeting in London. The president's schedule overflowed with bilateral meetings with heads of state. Mr. Obama had tete-a-tetes with his host, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jintao, South Korean President Lee Myung Bak and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, among others. His public appearances, like those of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her recent visit to Asia, were greeted by rapturous crowds.

In all those sessions, Mr. Obama sent the same message. The United States was eager to work with partners to tackle the key problems that the world faces.

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