Robot cat becomes Japan's first anime ambassador

Japan has created a unique government post of anime ambassador, anointing a popular cartoon character to the position.

Anime is derived from Japanese-style comic books, known as manga, which often combine complex plots with a style of illustration that includes big eyes and exaggerated physical features with glossy, vivid colours.

Japan's foreign minister, Mashiko Komura, announced Wednesday that the first ambassador would be a robot cat named Doraemon.

Komura handed an official certificate to a human-sized Doraemon doll along with dozens of red bean pancakes, his favourite dessert.

"I hope you will travel around the world as an anime ambassador to deepen people's understanding of Japan," said Komura at the Tokyo ceremony.

The move follows last year's inaugural International Manga Award, also instituted by the Japanese government, which honours comic book artists abroad.

The actions are all part of the Japanese government's efforts to use pop culture as a guise for diplomacy.

Doraemon films will be screened around the world this year including Singapore, China, Spain and France.

The character is a creation of cartoonist Fujiko F. Fujio and is popular all over Asia. The cat travels back in time from the 22nd century using an "anywhere door" to help his friends.