Buzz
The imagery of the intelligent robotic cat Doraemon is widely employed in the Fujiko F.Fujio Museum and the Odakyu train journey.
Doraemon (Đôrêmon) is not only an icon of Japanese manga culture but also a beloved childhood companion for many children worldwide, especially in Vietnam. Let's explore the tourist destinations linked with this intelligent robotic cat.
1. Fujiko F.Fujio Museum
Located in Kawasaki City, the Fujiko F. Fujio Museum is constructed to commemorate and honor the famous author's manga works, particularly the character Doraemon.
Centered around Doraemon, everything about the museum bears the mark of this adorable robotic cat. Moreover, you'll have the chance to meet various other characters from the Doraemon series on the special bus that takes you to the museum.
The Fujiko F. Fujio Museum is divided into various exhibition rooms with different amenities. In addition to traditional display rooms, there are comic reading rooms and movie screening rooms – showing specially made films exclusively for the museum.
On the top floor of the museum, there's also a small playground – a place for visitors to relax and reminisce about their childhood.
The café and restaurant inside the museum are a 'must-visit' if you want to experience this place to the fullest. With a diverse menu, visitors can choose from Doraemon Dorayaki pancakes or coffee cups decorated with Doraemon characters' faces and many other dishes easily found in the comics…
Outside the museum grounds, there are many statues of Doraemon characters along with the famous magical door. Before leaving, you can stop by the souvenir shop to buy a 'memory bun', souvenirs printed with your favorite characters, or even a real bamboo-copter.
2. Shirakawa Ancient Village in Doraemon
This small village below once served as the inspiration for author Fujiko Fujio to create the first volumes of the famous Doraemon manga series loved by Vietnamese children later on. In the series, the author depicted the clumsy character Nobita getting stuck in the valley full of ancient houses in Shirakawa Village.
Shirakawa Village lies in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan, one of the two remaining ancient villages in Japan that still uphold the traditional Gasshō-zukuri architectural style.
Here, there are over 100 houses built in the Gasshō-zukuri style, characterized by a thatched roof and steeply sloping sides consisting of 1-2 floors. The roofs are covered with thick straw, 40-80cm deep, to withstand the moisture of snow.
Situated in a region with quite harsh climate in Japan, winters here are extremely cold with the village blanketed in snow for three consecutive months. However, instead of erecting modern houses, the village retains these ancient thatched-roof houses, which are entirely cozy.
The village with its ancient houses and pristine white snow brings a very peaceful and serene feeling. Many believe that the author Fujiko Fujio, when creating the first volumes of the Doraemon series, once lived in such an ancient house.
3. Doraemon Train
In 2011, a special train featuring the image of the robotic cat Doraemon was put into operation under the name “Odakyu F-Train”. The train runs on the Odakyu line from Shinjuku in Tokyo to the suburbs of Odawara City in Kanagawa Prefecture.
This special train line was inaugurated as part of the celebration for the opening of the Fujiko Fujio Museum in Kawasaki.
The Odakyu F-Train consists of 10 cars designed with various images inspired by the characters from Fujiko Fujio's comics, especially the iconic robotic cat Doraemon.
Not only the exterior but also the interior of the train is filled with images, posters, and handles adorned with Doraemon symbols.
More uniquely, the station announcement chimes are tuned to familiar tunes from the Doraemon movies like “Doraemon no uta” and “Yume wo kanaete Doraemon”… However, the train service was suspended shortly after due to violating outdoor advertising regulations with advertisements exceeding standard size.
Take a look at the special Odakyu F-Train featuring Doraemon through the video below.
Source: Kenh14
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Reference: Travel Guide from Mytour
MytourJune 18, 2014
