A robotic cat with magical powers has been enlisted by Japan's diplomatic corps to promote the country's popular culture overseas.

No less a figure than the foreign minister, Masahiko Komura, this week appointed Doraemon, a popular cartoon character, as Japan's first "animation ambassador."

At a ceremony held in a ministry room usually reserved for receiving foreign dignitaries, the blue-and-white cat with no ears was given a certificate and a plate piled high with his favourite snack: dorayaki pancakes.

In front of dozens of journalists, a straight-faced Komura said: "Doraemon, I hope you will travel around the world as an anime ambassador and deepen people's understanding of Japan so they will become our friends."

Doraemon's charm offensive will begin with the screening of his hit film, Nobita's Dinosaur 2006 at Japanese diplomatic offices in several countries, including China, France and Spain.

The feline envoy - whose voice was provided by an actress hidden behind a sliding paper screen - promised to use his roving role to convey "what ordinary Japanese people think, our lifestyles and what kind of future we want to build."

Traditionalists may question his credentials, but Doraemon, the creation of cartoonist Fujiko F Fujio, seems a sensible choice.

Having built huge following in Japan following his comic book debut in 1969, he has become instantly recognizable throughout East Asia: in 2002, Time magazine named him one of 22 Asian heroes.

Doraemon's human counterparts would no doubt give anything to be able to possess similar powers to extricate themselves from the diplomatic quagmire.

The robotic cat, who travels back in time from the 22nd century, has an array of futuristic gadgets tucked away in a "fourth-dimensional" bottomless pocket on his tummy. They include an "anywhere door" that enables him and his friends to travel anywhere and to any time they like.

His appointment is part of a drive to harness the international popularity of Japanese manga - many of which are now being translated into other languages - to promote the country's soft power.

Last year the then foreign minister - and self-confessed manga addict - Taro Aso, created a "Nobel prize" for international manga artists.

In November, Astro Boy, an iconic cartoon character created in the 1950s, was named as Japan's envoy for overseas safety.