WHEN EAST MEETS WEST: April 1 proves readers no fools

Commentary by Hank F. Miller Jr.

 

Barack Obama's half brother, Barracuda Obama, is doing well in Japan and wishes the Illinois senator luck in his quest for the U.S. presidency, the Tokyo Shimbum newspaper reported last Tuesday.

In its annual April Fool's Day hoax feature, the Tokyo based newspaper published a story about a 39-year old Asian-African businessman who recently learned he was a child born to Obama's Kenyan father and an Asian woman.

Barack Obama Sr. divorced the senator's mother, Ann Dunham, in mid-1960s.The spoof says Barracuda was born as the first of four children after Obama Sr. remarried his second wife in Nairobi.

The story says Barracuda speaks fluent Japanese and studied business administration in Japan after graduating top in his class in Kenya He works for a Japanese trading company and specializes in dealing in rare metals.

"The tradition of publishing hoax stories on April Fools' Day began in 2001.The article went on to mention they thought the article about Mr. Obama would entertain their readers, "said the editor Kenji Zaitoku.

Barracuda acknowledges in the fake interview that he was suspicious with Barack Obama, especially because of the similarity in their names. But the full details were not disclosed to him until late last year.

"I'd like to meet (Barack) soon and have a conversation with him," Barracuda is quoted as saying to Tokyo Shimbum newspaper.

The paper accompanied the article with a highlight explaining it was a joke, as well as an image of a suntanned Japanese salertman with the caption saying it was Barracuda Obama.

Although Tokyo Shimbum's annual April Fools' Day features were met with complaints when they first appeared in 2001, none of its readers was taken in Tuesday or called the editorial office fuming over Barracuda's lack of authenticity.

The Japan Times on Tuesday published a spoof about the return of an extinct bird at the Alien Wildlife Quarantine Shelter, but in keeping with its April 1 tradition, which predates the Tokyo Shimbum's by several years, did not add a disclaimer.

The Yomiuri Shimbum newspaper, the Asahi Shimbum newspaper and the Mainichi Shimbum newspaper said they chose not to join in the spirit of April Fools' Day and played it straight.

 

 

Warm Regards from Hank & Keiko Miller from Warm and Sunny Kitakyushu City, Japan