Japan's foreign minister has appointed Pokemon's Pikachu and the famed cartoon cat Hello Kitty as cultural ambassadors in a bid to bring the 2025 World Expo to the country.

为了使日本获得2025年世博会的举办权，日本外交部长任命神奇宝贝中的皮卡丘和著名的卡通猫咪形象凯蒂猫为文化大使。

Foreign Minister Taro¹ Kono announced the new ambassadors in a Tweet, attaching a photo showing him handing the characters letters of appointment on Tuesday.

日本外交部长河野太郎在推特上公布了新的文化大使，并附上了他在星期二把委任书交给它们的照片。

The country is hoping that the port city of Osaka will be chosen as the host for the 2025 World Exposition.

日本希望港口城市大阪能被选为2025年世博会的举办城市。

The characters will be used for pamphlets and gifts to promote the city's bid as it competes against Saclay in the suburbs of Paris, the central Russian city of Yekaterinburg and the Azerbaijan capital Baku.

大阪在与巴黎市郊的萨克莱、俄罗斯中心城市叶卡捷琳堡以及阿塞拜疆的首都巴库竞争2025年世博会的举办权，而这两个卡通形象将被用于制作宣传册和礼品来推广这座城市。

'I would like for you to represent Japan and proactively (promote) the attraction of Osaka inside and outside of the country,' Kono told the characters.“

我希望你们能代表日本，积极地在国内外宣传大阪的魅力，”河野太郎对这两个卡通形象说道。

The World Expo takes place every five years and focuses on raising awareness² and building solutions to global challenges.

In November 2018, the host of the 2025 expo will be announced between the four contenders.

2018年11月将从四个竞争城市中公布2025年世博会的主办方。

Soccer star Keisuke Honda and 2012 Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka will also be named as special ambassadors.

足球明星本田圭佑和2012年诺贝尔奖得主山中伸弥也将被任命为特别大使。

Osaka last held the event in 1970, and in 2005, Japan's Aichi Prefecture was the host. The 2020 expo will be held in Dubai.

大阪上一次举办世博会是在1970年，2005年世博会的主办城市是日本爱知县，而2020年世博会将在迪拜举行。

This isn't the first time Hello Kitty has been named an ambassador - the feline³ was declared the Japanese Ambassador for Tourism in China in 2008.

这并不是凯蒂猫第一次被任命为大使，2008年这只猫咪就被宣布为日本在中国的旅游大使。