Obama thanks supporters in namesake Japanese town

TOKYO (Reuters) - The mayor of the sleepy Japanese fishing port of Obama received a letter of thanks from the U.S. presidential candidate who shares its name for supporting his White House bid, domestic media said on Tuesday.

Hoping to capitalise on their common name to boost tourism, Mayor Toshio Murakami of Obama city, in central Japan, has written to Barack Obama twice in the past year, enclosing gifts of chopsticks and a good luck charm.

"I am touched by your friendly gesture," Kyodo news agency quoted the candidate as saying in a letter to Murakami. "We share more than a common name; we share a common planet and common responsibilities."

The town of 32,500 will host a support rally for Obama on Wednesday Japan time, as the latest results come through in his hotly contended race against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination.

Obama has known for some time about the small city that bears his name and has even encountered a former resident.

He once said that during a visit to Japan, the immigration officer took a look at his passport and said to him: "I'm from Obama."

(Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; Editing by Alex Richardson)