A fishing town in Japan has declared its all-out support for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and for good reason too; the city and the senator share the same name. The Illinois senator took time to send city leaders a letter thanking them for their support, according to Mayor Toshio Murakami.

"I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the city of Obama for your support and encouragement and thank you for your thoughtful gift. We share more than a common name. We share a common planet and common responsibility. I look forward to a future marked by the continued friendship of our two great nations and shared commitment to a better, freer world," Obama wrote in the letter.

The 32,000 or so people in Obama, Japan are rooting for Barack in the hope that if he wins, he will put their ancient fishing town firmly on the tourist map and might even choose it as a venue for an international summit.

The people of Obama sent the candidate some tokens of support early last month, including chopsticks for good luck. According to the town, Obama's birthday, August 4, happens to be "Chopsticks Day" in the city.

Residents in Obama, which means "small shore or beach" in Japanese, are closely following the election. Locals have organized parties to watch election results and campaign posters and other mementos bearing Obama's name and face are now a common sight in the namesake town.