Rica Matsumoto, the female voice actress behind leading Pokémon character, Satoshi, better known as Ash Ketchum in the west, is now a Cool Ambassador for Japan. The title was given to her by the Japanese government earlier this month, and she is quite happy.
At the ceremony, Minister of State for Promotion of Local Sovereignty Naokazu Takemoto handed Matsumoto her papers and even took a few pictures to boot.
"I will do my best to convey the message that Japan is a wonderful place. I hope that a love of Japanese culture and its people can spread overseas," according to Matsumoto in a statement.
For those who are wondering what Cool Japan is all about, well, the government and various other companies support it to display modern Japanese culture to all who are willing to see. It’s a way to improve the standings of Japan outside of the country, and so far, things seem to be going very well.
From what we have gathered, Rica Matsumoto is one of many Cool Japan ambassadors.