Japan has a new ambassador, and it’s…Doraemon? Yes, the well-known robot cat from the future has been designated as the official Goodwill Ambassador for Anime Culture in a ceremony held yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Recent years have seen a growing awareness on the part of the Japanese government that anime, manga, video games and related culture were making a significant contribution to Japan’s image in the world, and the government is using the famous character to try to improve relations with the nearby countries of Asia, where Doraemon is a household name. I totally agree that popular culture is a great basis for communication between people, a thought that occurred to me when my daughter was three years old and hadn’t learned English yet, although she had no problem communicating with my American nephew because both could speak “Pokemon.” There’s no word if Ambassador Doraemon will be using official government transportation when he makes his goodwill visits, or if he’ll be making use of his Dokodemo Door (Go Anywhere Door), one of the futuristic devices he can pull out of his fourth-dimensional pocket.
