Doraemon, a Nostalgic Childhood Cartoon Character for All Japanese

I remember waking up early on a Saturday morning with my sister in Hawaii to watch our favorite Saturday morning cartoons. Of all, I liked Scooby Doo the best. Why? Because he was like me, he was creative, he was always scared but he always saved the day and he definitely liked and worked hard for his scooby snack. You might not know Scooby well, but you can probably relate to the feelings we have about Big Bird, Ms. Piggie, Barney or Teletubbies.

Living in Japan 27 years, I hear Doraemon enter adult conversation in the same nostalgic way that Scooby does.

I often hear people wish they could have Doraemon's "Doko de mo doa" basically the "Door to anywhere" meaning you can go anywhere. You just think about it and when you open the door, Voila! There you are! The door comes out of Doraemon's pocket and he puts it right in front of you.
Doraemon is a robot from the future and he really likes Dorae-yaki (a yummy bready Japanese treat) and he does not like mice which makes him kind of like a cat. He was originally yellow but something happened and he cried so much his body became blue. Maybe this is why he empathizes with and helps the little boy Nobita so much.

Doraemon came out of his friend Nobita's desk because somehow Nobita's desk is connected to the future. Gian and Suneo are two other boys who bully Nobita and Nobita wanted Doraemon to help him with handling the bullying. Doraemon begins pulling helpful items out of his magic pocket to help Nobita and since 1969, Doraemon has been an encouragement and stress-reliever for everyone in Japan.

So here is the theme song for Scooby Doo so you can feel nostalgic with me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_C2HJvtRDY

and here is an example of a Doraemon cartoon for you with English subtitles. This will give you an idea of the general story line.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yaebEaeT2I

So hopefully next time you hear one of your Japanese friends mention Doraemon, you will understand better who this cute, friendly and encouraging little character is. Also, guess what? You might be able to meet Doraemon in person if you go by TV Asahi in the Roppongi Hills complex. You will be surprised by all the activities and interests for kids at the TV Asahi building. Would be fun for you to stop by maybe on a rainy day? Doraemon and his friends are sure to cheer you up.
http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/hq/