The Japanese Embassy in Beijing said Monday it will host an anime festival in Beijing next week as part of the Japanese government's efforts to foster positive Chinese sentiment toward Japan. Japan's Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba will attend the opening ceremony of the "Japanese Anime Festival in Beijing" on Nov. 23 to be held at the official residence of the Japanese ambassador in Beijing.
About 300 people in the anime field and senior government officials from both countries have been invited to the opening event, which will feature a concert of anime theme songs. The festival's program will also include a forum on anime voice actors and other anime exchange programs. Ten anime films, including "Crayon Shinchan" and "Prince of Tennis," will be shown at a Beijing cinema from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11. A similar anime festival will open in Shanghai on Nov. 25.