Good news: Millions of Japanese learning how to say "let me be clear"

The speech CD and its accompanying book have been a resounding success, selling 200,000 copies since its release in January. A compilation of President Barack Obama’s speeches has done even better, selling half a million copies since November, solidifying his role as Japan’s English teacher.

Publishers have since flooded the market with over a dozen language-learning titles, including “Speech Training: Learning to Deliver English Speech, Obama Style”; “Learn English Grammar From Obama”; and “Yes, I Can With Obama: 40 Magical English Phrases From Presidential E-mails.”…

The Obama speech phenomenon peaked in the spring, observers say, and has given way to more books and magazines that focus on how Mr. Obama’s communication skills might be adopted in Japan for business and political purposes.

Professor Nikaido himself has recently published a book called “Creating an Audience Frenzy: Learning From Obama’s Strategic Oratory.”