The health ministry often relies on the nation's "soft power" to spread its public health messages. This time, it is using one of the hottest anime series — "Attack on Titan" — to promote proper coughing etiquette as the influenza season gets into full gear as the New Year holidays approach.
On Friday, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry released a new poster/leaflet featuring characters from the comic, animation and movie series, titled "Shingeki no Seki-echiketto" ("Coughing Etiquette in Force"), using part of the Japanese title of the series "Shingeki no Kyojin" created by Hajime Isayama.
The poster shows the series' main protagonist, Eren, covering his mouth and nose with a jacket sleeve.