New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern has been met in Japan on her first trip outside the country in two years by a duo of enormous, mournfully dancing kiwifruit. The two large mascots welcomed the prime minister with a gentle swaying routine, set to a piece of slow, somewhat sorrowful chamber music. He said the mascots were part of an event by Zespri, New Zealand’s kiwifruit export monopoly, rather than a formal Japanese government welcome. Japan is a significant market for New Zealand’s kiwifruit, taking around $600m worth of exports. New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern meets with her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida during a visit to Japan in Tokyo.

Source: The Guardian April 23, 2022 06:37 UTC