It seems the Japanese Ambassador to Israel Koji Tomita is a fan of Eiichiro Oda's manga series. The ambassador wore a "One Piece" cosplay of Monkey D. Luffy to the Harucon 2017, which is a convention dedicated to Japanese manga and anime.
According to a report from Crunchyroll, the convention on March 12 was held at the International Conventions Center in Jerusalem. Ambassador Tomita said that the reason for doing so was he was embarrassed in last year's anime and manga convention.
"I was so embarrassed wearing a suit last year," the Ambassador said. He also promoted their country, saying that the attendees should visit Japan if they want to more about the country.
The report said that some 3,500 people attended the event and this included Toshio Furukawa, a 70-year old voice actor who played Asuma Shinohara in "Mobile Police Patlabor" and "Urusei Yatsura's Ataru Moroboshi, and his wife Shino Kakinuma, who played in "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon" of Naru Osaka. The two voice artists were invited as special guests.
Furukawa was even surprised that Japanese anime and manga are widely appreciated outside of the country. He said that this kind of appreciation will help him do "cultural exchange by going to many places in the world."
But it wasn't only the Ambassador who cosplayed for the event as The Mainichi reports that there are other attendees who dressed the part for the anime and manga convention. These cosplayers, together with Ambassador Tomita's "One Piece" cosplay, went up the stage to show off.
The report adds that with the Ambassador getting into the vibe of the convention even got to a 20-year-old local who expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Tomita. The young man said they hope to visit Japan one day.
The Association for Manga and Anime in Israel organized the event and they have conducted the Harucon 10 times already and held it every spring. Check out a video of the Harucon 2017 from people who attended the event and try to see who else did a "One Piece" cosplay.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
