Doraemon Invades Noborito Station!

Doraemon chows down at Odakyu Noborito Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

I'm not the world's biggest manga or anime fan, but I finally decided to photograph some of the fun Doraemon-related displays in Odakyu Noborito Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. (Please note that JR Noborito Station doesn't have Doraemon stuff much worth pointing out.) From what I understand, the station is near the Doraemon Museum, which would certainly explain things! Anyway, here's a look at what you can see at the time of this upload. Enjoy!

Ride the Doraemon Express!

Doraemon on the Seibu Shinjuku Line. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While riding the Seibu Shinjuku Line yesterday, the train I was on was completely decked out with a Doraemon theme. While some trains around Tokyo have specific themes, it was the first time for me to see a Doraemon one. 

Although I don't follow Doraemon or his antics, I actually found the whole thing pretty fun. And, despite my headline, this was not an express train. But it sounds good as a title.

I always enjoy encountering these kinds of surprises, even when I may not be so familiar with the character or franchise. This was certainly an example of that!

It's Doraemon!

When he wasn't too busy explaining the new normal at movie theaters, I saw Doraemon while transferring between train lines at Noborito Station!

100 YEARS OF JAPANESE ANIMATION! Classic Japanese Cartoons Now in English!

Doraemon is a little too new-school for Japanese Anime Film Classics. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Japanese animation (or anime) isn't really my bag, but here's a Web site that ought to appeal to connoisseurs of both Japanese history and pop culture. The National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, has just launched an English-language site called Japanese Animated Film Classics on which you can watch some of the earliest cartoons from Japan.

The best part of the Web site? The cartoons are subtitled in English!

It's all part of the 100th anniversary of animation in Japan, which (near as historians can tell) likely began in 1917. 

Better hurry, though, as the site will likely cease operation by the end of the year. Don't miss your chance to check these rarely-seen classics out for yourself!