A handout picture released by Japan's ClubT. As Japan's new Prime Minister Naoto Kan took power, he received an unexpected boost from online salesof T-shirts bearing his picture and the message "Yes we Kan".(Agencies)
As Japan's new Prime Minister Naoto Kan took power Tuesday, he received an unexpected boost from online sales of T-shirts bearing his picture and the message "Yes we Kan".
While Kan was being sworn in by Japan's Emperor Akihito, Japanese retailer ClubT said it had sold more than 100 T-shirts online with the catch phrase, a reworking of US President Barack Obama's election motto "Yes We Can".
Meanwhile sales of shirts poking fun at his scholarly predecessor Yukio Hatoyama, who stepped down last week, were also surging as people snapped up memorabilia of the premier who carried the moniker "The Alien".
A Washington Post columnist in April called Hatoyama hapless and "increasingly loopy" over his contradictory comments in a dispute over a US airbase that badly strained ties with Washington and finally led him to resign.
Hatoyama later conceded in parliament he may indeed be described as loopy, leading ClubT to print a T-shirt that read: "Self-professed loopy Hatoyama".
"When Hatoyama went into office, his T-shirts didn't sell but they soared after he resigned," company executive Tomohiro Miyake said.
"On the other hand Kan's T-shirt is selling well on his inauguration. It's a sign that the quality of the two leaders' level of popularity is different."
日本新任首相菅直人于本周二正式走马上 任，在上任之际，他获得了一种意想不到的支持——一款印有他头像及口号“Yes we Kan”的T恤衫在网上热卖。
日本一家名为ClubT的零售商称，在 日本明仁天皇正式任命菅直人为日本首相之时，他们已在网上卖出了100多件这款印有“Yes we Kan”口号的T恤，该口号是根据美国总统贝拉克•奥巴马的竞选口号“Yes We Can”（是的！我们能！）改编而来的。
与此同时，取笑上周刚辞职的前任首相鸠 山由纪夫的T恤销量也大增。被称为“外星人”、学究味很浓的鸠山辞职后，人们纷纷抢购关于他的纪念品。
鸠山由纪夫因在美国驻日空军基地的搬迁 问题上出尔反尔，被《华盛顿邮报》的一位专栏作家在四月份（的一篇文章中）描述为“倒霉”，“越来越糊涂”。该事件严重影响了美日关系，并最终导致了鸠山 的下台。
后来，鸠山在日本国会承认自己或许真的 可以被称为“糊涂蛋”，所以ClubT公司据此想出了一个“自认糊涂的鸠山”的标语。
ClubT公司负责人三宅友广说：“鸠 山上任时，他的T恤衫卖得很差，但他辞职后销量反而大增。”
“而菅直人就任当天，他的主题T恤就卖 得很好，由此可以看出两名首相人气上的差距。
catch phrase：a phrase in wide or popular use, especially one serving as a slogan for a group or movement（口头禅，警句）
poke fun at: to ridicule or mock, esp. covertly or slyly（取笑）
snap up：to acquire quickly（抢购）