Got Trump Fatigue? Recharge In A Japanese City Named After Obama!

OK, the town got got it’s name nearly 2,000 years ago, but that hasn’t stopped Obama, Japan from adopting The former US President and making him a big part of their brand. According to Wikipedia, The area has a history that goes back the Yamato Dynasty, and was officially named Obama on March 30, 1951.

Today, while sampling the mackerel for which the city is famous, and touring the many temples that remain from the Yamato and Edo eras, visitors will notice that Barack Obama’s face might be one of the most ubiquitous images in the entire area. Along with life-sized cut outs of the Barack and Michelle that greet you in the lobby of the town’s best hotel, you’ll also find his face on everything from cookies and cakes, to posters, and even a bust made in his honor that sits beside a coffee vending machine.

The connection between the city and the president first began when he was in Japan for an interview in 2006 as a US Senator. The city immediately adopted him and became one of his biggest cheerleaders as he moved through Senate and eventually to the Oval Office. Since then, they’ve sent gifts and support to the US leader and were even visited by the US Ambassador. Unfortunately for the city, however, Barack Obama himself has yet to make the pilgrimage to his namesake destination.