Obama will get invite to Obama, Japan

2012-11-07 18:10

(File, AP)

Tokyo - A small city in Japan is to offer re-elected US president Barack Obama what may be the first invitation of his second term: A visit to a place that shares his name.

A whole ocean away from the party in Chicago, the ancient fishing port of Obama was celebrating along with its namesake on Wednesday after he swept to victory in the White House race.

Koji Matsuzaki, the mayor of Obama in Fukui prefecture is going to pen a letter to the president to congratulate him on his win, a city official said by telephone.

"In the letter, he will say he wishes President Obama will lead the world and that the president will visit Obama the next time he is in Japan," he said.

Four years ago US political fever gripped the 32 000-strong city, whose name means "small beach" in Japanese, with hula dancers performing as residents gathered to watch their adopted candidate storm to victory.

Celebrations were a little more low-key this time around, but there was still Obama-related fun to be had in the town.

A citizens' group who "supported President Obama without being asked" have been baking and delivering sweets made of green beans, reportedly a favourite of Barack Obama's grandmother in Kenya, said the official.

It was Obama himself who first drew attention to the connection with the town. He told Japan's TBS network in 2006 that when he flew into Japan, a startled passport control officer told him that he was from Obama.

- AFP