by Claire O'Neill

Today we look back and assess President Obama's effectiveness in his first 100 days in office. But one Japanese magazine is providing a look back at the very first day — when no one knew what to expect. On Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, COURRiER Japon assigned 132 noted photographers around the globe to capture the worldwide reaction. Here's a small selection of what was documented for the project, "This Day of Change." To learn more, visit the project Web site.

  • A child looks into the distance under a bright morning sky in Inner Mongolia, China.
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    A child looks into the distance under a bright morning sky in Inner Mongolia, China.
    A Yin, China
  • Halima and her friends play in a classroom between classes in Satkhira, Bangladesh.
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    Halima and her friends play in a classroom between classes in Satkhira, Bangladesh.
    Munem Wasif, Bangladesh/Agence Vu
  • Passers-by look at a banner of Barack Obama in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
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    Passers-by look at a banner of Barack Obama in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
    Baudoin Mouanda, Congo/Agence Vu
  • Caspana, an oasis in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
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    Caspana, an oasis in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
    Tomas Munita, Chile
  • Amidou Diabat, 26, visits a fellow resident who lives alone in Saint-Denis, France.
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    Amidou Diabat, 26, visits a fellow resident who lives alone in Saint-Denis, France.
    Dominic Nahr, Switzerland/Oeil Public
  • Jamal, a former rebel commander in Sudan, returns from an exam at a school in France. He hopes to bring his family from their refugee camp in Darfur.
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    Jamal, a former rebel commander in Sudan, returns from an exam at a school in France. He hopes to bring his family from their refugee camp in Darfur.
    Kosuke Okahara, Japan/Agence Vu
  • Not one house remains standing in the residential area Jabaliya, on the outskirts of Gaza City, after 22 days of Israeli bombardment.
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    Not one house remains standing in the residential area Jabaliya, on the outskirts of Gaza City, after 22 days of Israeli bombardment.
    Jan Grarup, Denmark/NOOR
  • Tree roots are exposed to the elements on Mount Takao in Tokyo (left). Commuters press against the door on the Yamanote Line during morning rush hour in Tokyo.
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    Tree roots are exposed to the elements on Mount Takao in Tokyo (left). Commuters press against the door on the Yamanote Line during morning rush hour in Tokyo.
    James Whitlow Delano, United States
  • A man sells Obama buttons in Nairobi, Kenya. Obama represents an enormous source of pride for all Kenyans.
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    A man sells Obama buttons in Nairobi, Kenya. Obama represents an enormous source of pride for all Kenyans.
    Andrew McConnell, Ireland
  • Workers, residents and the owner of a building soon to be demolished for redevelopment occupy the empty building to protest the government's action in South Korea.
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    Workers, residents and the owner of a building soon to be demolished for redevelopment occupy the empty building to protest the government's action in South Korea.
    Suntag Noh, South Korea
  • Jane Davis embraces her children after Obama has been inaugurated, in Houston.
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    Jane Davis embraces her children after Obama has been inaugurated, in Houston.
    Kadir Van Lohuizen, Netherlands/NOOR
  • Parishioners from the Greater Imani Church in Memphis, Tenn., step off tour buses after a long journey to attend Obama's inauguration.
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    Parishioners from the Greater Imani Church in Memphis, Tenn., step off tour buses after a long journey to attend Obama's inauguration.
    Lucian Read, United States/Rapport

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