By 'eck, it's Japan's ambassador!

ECCLES CAKES AND BODDIES AS MANCHESTER AND OSAKA JOIN FORCES

- By JOHN SCHEERHOUT

THE Japanese ambassador to the UK proclaimed his love for an Eccles cake and a pint of Boddingtons as Manchester and Osaka celebrated a new deal to promote trade and cultural exchange between the cities.

"By eck - it's gorgeous!" exclaimed Hiroshi Suzuki echoing the Cream of Manchester's famous advertising slogan of the 1990s - as he actually celebrated two things.

The first was signing a 'sister city' agreement between the two cities, and the second was the first commercially available pint of Boddingtons Cask ale to be made in the city in 13 years.

He seemed to particularly enjoy the latter.

The deal builds on £117m already invested by firms from Japan. And the ebullient ambassador seems to be a confirmed Mancophile.

A day earlier he enthusiastically gorged on an Eccles cake and gave it a thumbs-up sign.

"Eccles cakes are the best," he said later.

And it's not just our refreshments he likes.

Over the past 12 months alone Japanese companies have invested £117million in Greater Manchester and created more than 200 new jobs, according to the mayor's office.