Siberia's new ambassador to Japan is a cat called Mir, a gift from Russian president Vladimir Putin

The cat's name means 'Peace' in Russian. The new owner is Norihisa Satake, governor of Japan's Akita prefecture, a well-known cat lover who already has seven cats in his official mansion. 

Earlier, the governor had presented Putin with an Akita Inu puppy named Yume - or Dream - as a thank you for assistance Russia provided after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan.

'We need peace to make dreams come true,' said Satake.

'Mir is a very beautiful cat. He is marvelous. He's a real presidential cat', said his spokesman.