Japan to appoint Hello Kitty as goodwill tourism ambassador

Sunday 18th May, 06:03 AM JST

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Latest 15 of 33 Total Comments Show All

Sarge at 11:10 PM JST - 18th May

Tee hee!
TetsuyaTsurugi at 11:53 PM JST - 18th May

I can't think of a better ambassador that would appeal to multiple generations and is so well known all at once. Fantastic choice Japan! ^^
realist at 12:07 AM JST - 19th May

Oh, please! This really takes the biscuit. A silly cartoon character as a goodwill ambassador for Japan? Its bad enough having ridiculous looking anime characters as the symbols of "universities" in Japan, but this really makes Japan look childish and stupid in the eyes of the wider world. Japan truly is an animation nation. Oh - and I agree that Kitty Chan would make a better politician or Prime Minister than anyone the LDP has put forward in the last 100 years.
Easy50 at 12:19 AM JST - 19th May

I wonder if the Japanese will be embarassed by this? Ultimately it wont make a hill of beans difference to their trade with China or their relationship with the world. WMD said it best; "how pathetic can you get!"
blvtzpk at 12:30 AM JST - 19th May

Only 'Goodwill Ambassador'? Bad job! Clearly not enough backhanders to the LDP it seems. I've heard from Sanrio insiders that she was aiming for the Swiss ambassadorship. Still, she should count herself lucky - Dear Daniel drew the short straw, and is on his way to Iraq!
Taka313 at 06:58 AM JST - 19th May

So much culture and so much history, but they go with Hello Kitty to promote tourism.

Wow.

Taka
Sarge at 07:52 AM JST - 19th May

What's wrong with Hello Kitty? The Chinese like her.
tiggielover at 08:09 AM JST - 19th May

Why not Hello Kitty. She is known all over the world. People of all ages love her and she puts a smile on everybody's face. Great choice Japan!
blvtzpk at 09:13 AM JST - 19th May

she puts a smile on everybody's face

No she doesn't - check Sailwind's reaction. I believe he is still in possession of his frontal lobes.
Hughgarse at 10:45 AM JST - 19th May

the quote "nation of 12 year olds" seems appropriate here...
Hughgarse at 10:45 AM JST - 19th May

the quote "nation of 12 year olds" seems appropriate here...
Sarge at 03:02 PM JST - 19th May

Hey, Perez Hilton was wearing a Hello Kitty tie, and Victoria Beckham commented on his "fierce" tie!
romulus3 at 03:20 PM JST - 19th May

thanks sailwind, because of your heroic and unselfish sacrifice wimpy men who get lead around trash shops by their wives can sleep better. however romulus technique for getting out of such nonsense is this "if you wana go there, go with your friends, but never never expect me to ever go to such a place!" You gotta say it while looking hard, directly into their eyes without any type of compromise visible anywhere. Well now that kitty is the ambassador of Japan, I wana start a movement to form the DPRK. Democratic Peoples Repulsion of Kitty
taikomama72 at 01:34 PM JST - 20th May

Hello Kitty??? Why not Totoro? I like him better ^_^
presto345 at 01:15 AM JST - 21st May

Unfortunately a poor choice. Besides being silly, Hallo Kitty is a poorly disguised copy of the popular Miffy (Nijntje) of Dick Bruna of the Netherlands. Sanrio has admitted to the fact, but copy right infringements were never settled. I find it hard to believe Japan can't appoint something more original. The cloned character may be known all over the world, but that doesn't mean it will qualify as a goodwill ambassador as it is very much un-Japanese.