The cultural exchange with Japan continues.

Mayor Robert Cluck says he was pleasantly surprised when he received a package in the mail from Yu Darvish's hometown of Habikino City, Japan. It was in response to a letter he'd sent recently to Mayor Tsuguo Kitagawa with an open invitation to the Rangers Ballpark. Mayor Cluck says the letter was simply a goodwill gesture. "I just wanted him to know how much we appreciate having Yu Darvish play right here in Arlington and wanted to let him know he's welcome to come watch him play at the Ballpark, anytime."

Along with the letter, the mayor sent some Texas Rangers souvenirs to Mayor Kitagawa, including a Texas Rangers t-shirt, a Texas Rangers mini pennant, a Texas bookmarker, a book about Texas, a Texas postcard, a Texas magnet and a Texas boot memo clip.

In case you were wondering what was inside the box from Japan, Mayor Kitagawa sent a kimono, a re-usable shopping bag, and brochures about Habikino. Among the souvenirs from Habikino, which is well known in Japan as a grape producing region were a variety items decorated with a grape cartoon figure -designed by Mayor Kitagawa himself.