Hopefully the newly-elected officials will be announcing their political stances soon.
The Foreign Minister of Japan Taro Kono announced on Wednesday that appointed popular characters Pikachu and Hello Kitty as ambassadors to Osaka to help promote the Japanese city as a host for the World Expo 2025. The images show Kono awarding both mascot characters official recognition of their status as ambassadors.
I have appointed Pikachu and Hello Kitty as Ambassador to promote the City of Osaka for the 2025 Expo host city. pic.twitter.com/mCkiCl5T5j
— KONO Taro (@konotaromp) November 29, 2017
The host city won’t be selected until November 2018, and Osaka is currently competing against Paris; Baku, Azerbaijan; and Yekaterinburg, Russia. However, the city is hoping its bid won’t be lost after Tokyo hosts the 2020 Olympic Games and that electing the two characters will win the support of the international community through Japan’s “soft power,” like anime and manga.
Pikachu and Hello Kitty weren’t the only appointed ambassadors. Kono also selected living, breathing humans Keisuke Honda (a professional soccer player) and Nobel Prize-winning stem cell researcher Shinya Yamanaka.
More from Anime News Network:
- Beauty and the Beast Romances Through Manga History
- Legend of Zelda Cover Album Will Octo-Rock Your Socks Off
- Cowboy Bebop Character Designer’s Illustration Inspires Real Spike Suit
Source: TBS News
Featured image: Twitter/@konotaromp
Pikachu, Shinzo Abe, and other Pokémon go to bat for Osaka to host 2025 World Expo
LA hotel gets ready for Hello Kitty expo with themed hotel rooms, food
Sanrio launches Hello Kitty Men, wants to break stereotypes
Sanrio 2015 mid-election polls show Hello Kitty losing to visual kei band by wide margin
Hello Kitty Cafe coming to Osaka for a limited time!
Nike x One Piece collection brings Devil Fruits to sneakers and streetwear in Japan
Nephew of Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki serves up Totoro Shaved Ice in Tokyo
Winnie the Pooh cosplays as Yuzuru Hanyu for new plushie collaboration
Nagoya’s famous Shinkansen platform noodle shop has other, better branches nearby
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
Osaka Starbucks has one of the city’s coolest photo vantage points, but it’s going away soon
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
Ohaw? Ruibe? Pocche? While traveling in Japan’s north, we try Ainu cuisine for the first time
Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program returns after six years with free tours and festival experiences
Wait, some Shinkansen trains already have private booths that only cost 1,500 yen for an hour?
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
Japanese workers reveal their top five mysterious rules they wish would disappear【Survey】
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
100-meter tall Hello Kitty artwork appearing on Japanese Ferris wheel, jumbo Pompompurin nearby
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】