Japan's beloved cartoon robo-cat Doraemon took on a new role Wednesday as an “anime ambassador” in a bid to promote the nation's culture and its animation¹.
 
Japan's beloved cartoon robo-cat Doraemon took on a new role Wednesday as an "anime ambassador" in a bid to promote the nation's culture.

Masahiko Komura, Japan's usually serious foreign minister, led an upbeat ceremony to appoint the character as Japan's first "anime ambassador" tasked with "making friends by travelling around the world."

"Doraemon, I hope you will travel around the world as an anime ambassador to deepen people's understanding of Japan so they will become friends with Japan," Komura told the blue-and-white cat.

In his acceptance speech, Doraemon said he was eager to promote Japanese culture.

"Through my work, I will do my best to tell people in foreign countries about what Japanese think, how Japanese live and what kind of future the Japanese hope to make," Doraemon said.

Doraemon is the main character in one of Japan's most popular comic series, which has also become widely known in much of Asia since its book debut² in 1969.

Created by the late cartoonist Fujiko F. Fujio, Doraemon is a friendly humanoid robot who looks like a blue-and-white cat with no ears.

The appointment is part of Japan's recent effort to harness the power of pop culture in diplomacy³. Astro Boy, another cartoon icon⁴, was named last November as ambassador for overseas safety.

 
深受人们喜爱的日本卡通形象“机器猫”——“哆啦A梦”于本周三接受了一项新使命，它将担任日本“动漫大使”，向全世界推广日本文化。

当天，一贯以严肃形象示人的日本外务大臣高村正彦主持了一场别开生面的委任仪式，正式任命机器猫为日本的首任“动漫大使”，其主要使命是“巡游世界，广交朋友”。

高村外长寄语这只蓝白相间的机器猫说：“哆啦A梦，我希望你能履行好‘动漫大使’的职责，遍游世界，加深世界各地人民对日本的了解，使他们成为我们的朋友。”

“哆啦A梦”在致辞中说自己很期待为传播日本文化出一份力。

它说：“我将尽自己最大的努力让世界各地的人们了解日本人在想什么、日本人的生活方式以及我们希望创造怎样的未来。”

“哆啦A梦”是日本最风靡的一部系列动画片中的主角，而且自1969年其漫画书出版以来，这部动画片在亚洲的很多地区也广为人知。

“哆啦A梦”是已故漫画家藤子不二雄创造出的卡通形象，它是一只没有耳朵、蓝白相间的机器猫，十分友好。

近年来，日本开始大力推动“流行文化”外交，任命机器猫为“动漫大使”也是该计划的一部分。去年11月，日本另一个卡通人物“阿童木”被任命为“海外安全大使”。