Shalo-um chan, the embassy's parrot mascot, makes a special guest appearance in the show.
By ELIA BERGEREmbassy of Israel in Japan animation series
The embassy of Israel in Tokyo has launched an animated, online series in its latest effort to boost tourism from Japan.The seven-part show will broadcast on the embassy's official YouTube page.The first episode was unveiled on Tuesday and features sisters Saki and Noriko on a first-time trip to the Holy Land.As the young girls hop on a plane and land in Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport, they hit some of the city's hotspots, and go for a night out on the town.Though punctuated with comedy, the seven-minute installment ends on a dramatic note, with the older one of the two sisters contemplating her relationship, which has recently hit the rocks.The embassy's parrot mascot, dubbed Shalo-um chan, makes a special guest appearance in between scenes, providing little-known facts and tidbits about Israeli life, history and culture.Israel's wine industry as well as its status as the "Start-up Nation" are also highlighted in the Japanese-language Anime.