There’s an obvious gag gift element to these manju from Fukui, but is the pun delicious?

Recently our Japanese-language reporter Masanuki Sunakoma was out for a drive, and before he realized it, he drove right into Obama.

If you’re perhaps wondering why Masanuki isn’t under investigation for vehicular manslaughter, it’s because the Obama he drove into wasn’t former United States president Barack Obama, but the Japanese town of Obama. Located in western Fukui Prefecture on the shores of Wakasa Bay, the town of Obama’s name is written with the kanji characters 小浜, meaning “little beach,” but is pronounced exactly the same way as the former U.S. president’s.

Founded in 1951 and with a population of only around 30,000 people, the city of Obama had a pretty low profile for its first 50-plus years. Once President Obama was elected, though, the coincidentally named Fukui town started attracting a lot more attention. So as Masanuki was passing through the area, he decided to see if the former U.S. head of state is still in the minds of the Fukui locals by checking out the offerings at the Wakasa Obama michi no eki (“roadside station”).

Michi no eki are non-expressway rest stops with attached food courts and souvenir shops highlighting points of pride for the local community. A lot of times you’ll find handicrafts such as traditional dolls and textiles, or locally grown fruits or teas. At Wakasa Obama, though, you’ll also find caricatures of Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Though their political careers have been characterized by stark disagreement on nearly every possible policy, these illustrated versions have at least found one common sentiment, with the Trump illustration saying “Obama really is great!” and Biden agreeing “Yeah, great!”

And for those who want to declare their own love of Obama, there’s the Obama Manju.

Manju are a kind of traditional Japanese dessert, small cakes usually filled with anko (sweet bed bean paste). The Obama Manju, also called the “Obaman,” come five to a pack, with the message “I ♡ OBAMA” written in no less than two places on the wrapper.

Also on the wrapper is an illustration of a familiar-looking head seen from behind. Masanuki assumed this was a coy way of making the reference less direct, until he went to another souvenir shop elsewhere in Fukui and saw that there are also Obama Manju packages that are much more upfront about the product’s inspiration.

It’s an obvious attempt by the town of Obama to capitalize on its 10 minutes/2 presidential terms of fame, and with the pun-based comedy being part of their appeal, Masanuki figured their flavor probably wouldn’t be much to write home about. Still, he decided to pick up a pack of five for 756 yen (US$5.25), since he figured it’s always better to have gag gift desserts than to have no desserts at all.

Curious as to whether his manju would have Obama’s face on them or the back of his head, Masanuki opened up the package and slipped out the contents, discovering that you get both designs even in a single pack.

Each manju is individually wrapped for easier sharing, and once Masanuki had a pair completely open he could see that they’re actually quite nicely made.

Still he kept his expectations measured as he took a bite, only to quickly find out his lack of faith had been completely unnecessary. The cake, made with yam mixed into the dough, was tender and moist, with the faint yet delicately enticing aroma of sake, and the anko was flavorful but not overly sweet. Even if you took out the pun-based name and visual design, these would be a great sweet snack.

The Obama Manju is delicious in a mature, relaxed way that’s devoid of blustery drama or attention-grabbing shock tactics, and between its great taste and the fact that they’re still being made and sold eight years after Obama’s second term ended, they’ll probably be available for some time to come. If you’d like to try them for yourself but a trip to Fukui isn’t in your near-future plans, they can also be ordered online from Obama confectioner Inoue Koyoan here.

Related: Wakasa Obama website
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