Obama, starting point of the Sabakaido (Mackerel Highway) Once a part of Miketsu Province, Obama was obligated to send salt and marine products to the imperial court in Kyoto. The starting point of the “Mackerel Highway,” Obama thus played a key role in developing the culinary traditions of Kyoto. To this day, those culinary traditions are maintained as part of a culture of gratitude for the blessings of nature.