No rain on Doraemon’s Olympic parade ...  Japan’s most lovable anime character,  Doraemon, also a favourite among Thai  people, was a special ambassador for  Tokyo’s successful bid for the 2020 Olympic  and Paralympic games.  Just what role the  famously earless robotic  cat from the future might have in Olympic  events is still anyone’s guess. For now all  we know is that Tokyo’s governorhas vowed  that the 2020 Games—more than half a  century after Tokyo’s first games in 1964  — will boost the country’s economy.  The Land of the Rising Sun  probably doesn’t need the games to encourage  Thais to visit— since short-term visa-free  access was introduced, several airlines  have reported fully booked flights from  Thailand to Japan.  PHOTO: SITHIKORN WONGWUDTHIANUN