The government has picked cartoon characters to promote Japan, and last year appointed robotic hero cat "Doraemon" as the nation's first "Anime Ambassador".

日本政府挑选了卡通形象来宣传本国，并于去年委任机器猫“哆啦A梦”出任国家首任“卡通大使”。

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In this town in western Japan, people look to Tama, a nine-year-old cat working as master of an unmanned train station.

而在这个日本西部小镇，人们真的指望上了一只名叫阿玉的猫，这只九岁的猫在一个无人售票火车站任站长。

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Tama, a cat appointed as the master of an unmanned train station on the Kishigawa Line in Japan, was rewarded with promotion to director of the Wakayama Electric Railway, Kyodo news agency reported.

据日本共同社报道，日本和歌山电气铁路公司近日宣布，在贵志川线一无人售票车站担任站长的小猫阿玉将“升任”公司董事。

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Tsuji believes the cat will remain big in Japan (which accounts for 90% of sales) for three more years.

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Consider Cat's longtime rival Komatsu of Japan.

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Now finally, as Japan applies to join the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the cat is out of the bag.

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