"機器貓"擔任日本"動漫大使"

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 debut 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 diplomacy. Astro Boy, another cartoon icon, was named last November as ambassador for overseas safety.

深受人們喜愛的日本卡通形象“機器貓”——“哆啦A夢”於本週三接受了一項新使命，它將擔任日本“動漫大使”，向全世界推廣日本文化。

當天，一貫以嚴肅形象示人的日本外務大臣高村正彥主持了一場別開生面的委任儀式，正式任命機器貓爲日本的首任“動漫大使”，其主要使命是“巡遊世界，廣交朋友”。

高村外長寄語這隻藍白相間的機器貓說：“哆啦A夢，我希望你能履行好‘動漫大使’的職責，遍遊世界，加深世界各地人民對日本的瞭解，使他們成爲我們的朋友。”

“哆啦A夢”在致辭中說自己很期待爲傳播日本文化出一份力。

它說：“我將盡自己最大的努力讓世界各地的人們瞭解日本人在想什麼、日本人的生活方式以及我們希望創造怎樣的未來。”

“哆啦A夢”是日本最風靡的一部系列動畫片中的主角，而且自1969年其漫畫書出版以來，這部動畫片在亞洲的很多地區也廣爲人知。

“哆啦A夢”是已故漫畫家藤子不二雄創造出的卡通形象，它是一隻沒有耳朵、藍白相間的機器貓，十分友好。

近年來，日本開始大力推動“流行文化”外交，任命機器貓爲“動漫大使”也是該計劃的一部分。去年11月，日本另一個卡通人物“阿童木”被任命爲“海外安全大使”。