NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- The hometown of Japanese baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki led celebrations Wednesday after he became the first Asian player to be elected to the U.S. National Baseball Hall of Fame.

A banner congratulating the former Seattle Mariners outfielder for his election to the baseball halls of fame in both Japan and the United States will be displayed at the town hall in Toyoyama, Aichi Prefecture, until Feb. 21. The central and local governments also expressed their joy.

The 51-year-old baseball star, widely known by his first name, was elected to the U.S. hall of fame on Tuesday, just days after being chosen for the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers congratulated Ichiro on his Instagram with a photo showing Ichiro in his Seattle Mariners uniform.

About a dozen staff members of the town hall gathered in the lobby around 8 a.m. to monitor the announcement on Major League Baseball's official website. When Ichiro's election was confirmed, the room erupted in applause.

Local residents also celebrated the news.

Tomohiro Kawamura, 51, a baseball teammate during their youth, recounted how Ichiro was "exceptionally talented and dedicated to baseball even back then."

In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi offered his congratulations, calling Ichiro "a superstar who has continued to inspire many people to dream and hope."

Aichi Gov. Hideaki Omura also issued a statement expressing "deep respect" for Ichiro, praising his "extraordinary skill in hitting, base-running and defense that captivated baseball fans around the world."

He was named on 99.7 percent of the ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, falling one vote short of becoming the hall of fame's second unanimous selection, after former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.

Ichiro retired in 2019 at age 45 with 3,089 hits in Major League Baseball after becoming the first position player to arrive from Japan, where he had 1,278 hits.