TAIPEI -- Tai Ya-Chang has just one word on his name card: "Taiwanese."

A staunch believer in a Taiwan for Taiwanese, the resident of Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, runs Taiwanese language classes and organized a tour of some 300 Taiwanese residents of Japan to attend and celebrate Saturday's presidential inauguration of Chen Shui-bian of the proindependence Democratic Progressive Party.

"This is the first time I felt any need to come (to Taiwan)," he said, indicating the wide interest the changing of the guard has attracted among Taiwanese living in Japan.