The most interesting power move in Asia this week involved no boardroom at all. It happened inside a giant plush cat. Photographs from Japan’s Imperial Household Agency show Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako beaming from the windows of the Nekobus at Ghibli Park, and the images are a masterclass in cultural soft power.
The visit took place Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Ghibli Park in the Ai-Chikyuhaku Memorial Park, Aichi Prefecture, while the couple was in the region September 19 and 20 for Asian Games events.
The Asset on Display
The photographs are perfectly composed for the moment: the imperial couple framed in the Grand Warehouse’s (Ghibli no Oosouko) giant Catbus, yellow eyes glowing above, the “ジブリパーク” destination board lit, tiny pink-eyed mice on the roof. The second image adds Kaonashi, No-Face from “Spirited Away,” to the portfolio.
Why It Works
Studio Ghibli is among Japan’s most valuable cultural assets, loved on every continent. An emperor photographed inside its most whimsical creation signals national pride without a single speech, and puts Aichi’s tourism offering in front of a global audience already watching the Asian Games.
Influence, it turns out, sometimes wears a cat grin.
Photo: @kunaicho_jp
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