Recently, Japanese anime and manga have become more and more popular. They not only have influenced the Japanese market but also have influenced other countries. As a result, Japanese anime and manga producers are increasingly taking a worldwide perspective(发展前景) and simplifying the conversion of stories into other foreign languages. The Japanese government is also geared(做好准备) to promote anime and manga as a new export line. In recent years, the government is making great effort to harness the power of pop culture in diplomacy(外交).

近年来，日本动漫变得越来越受欢迎，其影响力已经从日本市场蔓延至其他国家。因此，日本动漫制造商越来越多地着眼于世界市场，推出不同语言版本的动漫故事。而日本政府也将动漫产品视为一种出口的新势力，并对其进行大力扶持。日本政府于近年来开始大力推动"流行文化"外交。

In March of 2008, Masahiko Komura, Japan's usually serious foreign minister, led an upbeat ceremony to appoint the character of Doraemon as Japan's first "anime ambassador" tasked with "making friends by traveling around the world". Astro Boy, another cartoon icon, was named last November as the ambassador for overseas safety.

在2008年三月份，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"。2007年11月份，日本另一个卡通人物"阿童木"也被任命为"海外安全大使" 。