In the early 1970s, “ping pong diplomacy” was used to open a few doors in China. Now, some 40 years later, Japan’s princesses of pop hope to turn some heads as well as they try to improve Sino-Japan relations. Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba on Feb. 2 met members of the all-girl idol group AKB48, whom he had appointed official supporters of the "Vibrant Japan" (Huoli Riben) campaign to promote Japanese products in China. The minister handed them a letter of appointment during the meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo.
"We would be happy if we could cheer up, as best we can, people in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and people in Japan at large," said AKB48 member Tomomi Itano, 20, after receiving the letter.
The performers will be part of exhibitions to promote the export of Japanese products and to try to increase visits to Japan by Chinese tourists. Both the volume of exports and the number of tourists fell sharply after the March 11 disaster triggered a crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
via AJW
