0169 Hello Kitty Ambassador

Japan has just added two new words to the language of diplomacy: Hello Kitty. The popular cartoon character was recently called to serve her country as Tourism Ambassador to China and Hong Kong. She follows in the pawprints of Doraemon, the manga robot cat named Anime Ambassador last year in an attempt to “harness the power of pop culture in diplomacy.” There is some irony to Kitty’s appointment: China is the mother lode of faux kitty knockoffs with sales of about $800 million a year. Whatever. As one of the most powerful brands in the world, Kitty’s image can be found on some 50,000 products worldwide including a deluxe leather document case. Think what you will about Miss Kitty: But you can never say she’s an ambassador without a portfolio. #hacker #japan #ceas