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 and simplifying the conversion of stories into other foreign languages.The Japanese government is also geared 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.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.
