Our beloved cat robot, Doraemon, is transforming into a train in Japan.
On Thursday (8 Oct), Tokyo’s Seibu Railway launched the Doraemon-Go! train in honor of the iconic character’s 50th anniversary.
In line with the theme, the train’s interior and exterior are wrapped in navy blue and covered with animated Doraemon illustrations.
We take you through a quick virtual tour of the cabins, so long-time anime fans will know exactly what to expect.
The Doraemon-Go! train by Seibu Railway features life-sized door decals of the classic anime character — paying homage to his cheeky grin.
Just like our beloved cat robot, the train will also ‘teleport’ you to where you want to go.
But only if your location falls within the Shinjuku Line, Haijima Line, and Tamako Line in Tokyo.
Long-time fans would be impressed by the vehicle’s interior, brimming with the character’s nostalgic presence.
The gangway door and windows are plastered with Doraemon stickers, which remind sleepyheads like Nobita to wake up and depart at the right station.
If you’ve ever dreamed of entering the pink ‘Anywhere Door’ from the anime, then check out their connecting doors.
While this version can’t transport you across the globe, at least you can reach your companions riding on a separate carriage.
We spotted some seats printed with Doraemon’s iconic 4-Dimensional pocket for storing gadgets.
Although it won’t store your luggage, we bet you’ll be excited to sit on Doraemon’s lap as you watch the scenic cityscapes pass by.
To live up to Doraemon’s high-tech reputation, the seats are equipped with an antibacterial and antiviral functional fibre called “CLEANSE” to keep you safe and comfortable.
Platform tickets to Seibu Railway’s trains cost S$1.92 (¥150) for adults and S$1.03 (¥80) for children. Interested tourists can check out their website to learn more.
The Doraemon train runs on the Hajima, Shinjuku, and Tamako lines of Seibu Railway.
You can check out the railway map to find out if the Doraemon train will be available at a specific station.
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, we can’t visit Japan to ride these Doraemon trains just yet. However, recent developments make us feel hopeful that we can return to Japan soon.
In September, Japan and Singapore launched green lanes for business travel. Japan also lifted its travel ban on Singapore, but currently encourages essential travel only.
In the meantime, you can place the Doraemon train on your Japan travel bucket list, and enjoy re-runs of the classic cartoon — the chance to enter an ‘Anywhere Door’ will come soon enough if we remain patient.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Doraemon channel & Mainichi Japan.
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