On her first overseas trip since the pandemic began, New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern was welcomed in Japan by two giant dancing kiwifruit mascots.
Ardern’s first official stop on her trip was an event by New Zealand kiwifruit marketer Zespri to mark the annual kiwifruit sales season in Japan.
The event included an incredible performance involving Zespri’s two giant kiwifruit mascots in Japan, the Kiwi Brothers, swaying to a famous Japanese song.
A video of the moment by an NZ Stuff reporter has since gone viral on Twitter, gaining more than 5.4 million views.
Ardern also tried her hand at Japanese calligraphy, writing out the word “kiwi” in Japanese.
This event also featured Ardern being challenged to a calligraphy challenge. Truly Japan knows content. pic.twitter.com/VBbx1Xkovf
— henry cooke (@henrycooke) April 21, 2022
She then posed for a photo with the Japanese superstar mascots.
Ardern told Newshub that the Kiwi Brothers, whom she first met during a visit to Japan in 2019, hold a special place in her heart.
“While they thankfully didn’t make me dance, they did hold my hand,” she said. “That image brought such joy and delight to my office in New Zealand that to this day, the photo of my hand holding with the kiwi brothers still hangs in my office.”
People thought it was an absolutely brilliant idea.
This is so fucking rad
— jade give two rides (@aChairOverThere) April 21, 2022
they need to put ardern on a variety show
— Patrick Lum (@jintor_au) April 21, 2022
like something from Flight of the Conchords
— Andre Pagliarini (@apagliar) April 21, 2022
They noted the multiple layers involved in the performance.
You have no idea how popular these “Kiwi brothers” are in Japan. They just LOVE them and zespri’s TV commercials so much. Lots of them recognise Zespri as a kiwifruits brand but not necessarily know it’s a NZ company. pic.twitter.com/uqWtYP1ViZ
— Tamacorn (@sleepyheadcorn) April 21, 2022
Not merely “sorrowful” music @guardiannews “Kojo no Tsuki” (Moon Over Ruined Castle) is extremely evocative for Japanese listeners and is one of Japan’s best-known songs. It was written by Rentaro Taki in 1901 at the age of 21, before his death of TB at only 23.
— @angelbright (@angelbr32826310) April 22, 2022
I love that they considered both Green and Gold varieties of kiwi for the mascots
— Kat | ❤️⚪💙 (@ThePomKat) April 22, 2022
And praised Ardern’s calligraphy writing.
Aww she wrote Kiwi!! 🥝
— P365 (@p365_ic) April 22, 2022
Very good effort by the PM
— LouieTheBoostedRed (@LouieTheRed1) April 21, 2022
nice キウイ🥝👍
— まっち(街頭技巧師) (@gaitougikou) April 22, 2022
More Kiwi Brothers content please.
this is how I feel right now, funnily enough. pic.twitter.com/tFg5ahvRI1
— Someone (@individual35837) April 21, 2022
