Japan’s most beloved robot cat will set up an Anywhere Door to cute merchandise right in Odaiba, Tokyo.
Doraemon is having a great year! April 2019 marked the 40-year anniversary of the first time our cute bubble-headed catbot pal starred on TV screens across Japan. Earlier this year, the train station closest to the Fujiko F. Fujio museum celebrated by cloaking itself in adorable Doraemon decals – and next year is an even bigger landmark, as it signifies a whopping 50 years since Doraemon came into existence!
▼ Forty years of adorable jingles you’ll likely hear at a Japanese grocery store, but the cat himself is 10 years older!
While the museum dedicated to Fujiko F. Fujio (a pen name for artist duo Hiroshi Fujimoto and Abiko Moto) does cover Doraemon, and features a gift shop with adorable Doraemon items, a new Doraemon store, the first ever dedicated shop for the series itself, has just been announced. The store will be located at the Diver City entertainment complex in Odaiba, Tokyo, and ads have already been posted for prospective staff. Diver City already boasts a titanic Gundam standing at its entrance, so a Doraemon shop will fit right into the neighborhood!
▼ The future store’s address is Tokyo, Koto City, Aomi, 1-Chome 1-10 Diver City Tokyo Plaza 2F
Further details on the actual contents of the store are still unconfirmed, but doors are set to open in winter of this year…so keep your eyes peeled! The press release does state that merchandise stocked by the store will span the entire fantastical universe of Doraemon movies, manga and TV episodes, so we can expect to see not only our favorite technological cyan feline but his best buddy Nobita, little sister Dorami and Nobita’s human gang Shizuka, Gian and Suneo.
▼ A height comparison lineup of the Doraemon gang
As other franchise-limited stores such as Studio Ghibli’s Donguri Kyowakoku often offer in-store exclusives, we’re excited to see if the Doraemon Official Shop will do the same…and how they’ll compare to existing merchandise, like these too-cool-for-school sneakers and fusion robot action figures formed out of Doraemon and his sister.
Source: PR Times via Japaaan
Top image: PR Times
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