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Doraemon gets his own cast metal product range
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Photo of Doraemon mascot replica ,displayed at Central West Gate in Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec. 3, 2015, to celebrate his 45th comic anniversary, Doraemon Comic World. (Shutterstock.com/doraclub)
Doraemon now has his own range of traditional cast metal products, from chopstick rests to wind bells.
Nousaku Corp., a renowned cast metal manufacturer in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, has produced five types of craft items themed on Doraemon — the widely loved robot cat of the eponymous manga and anime.
The company hopes the products will enhance the already good reputation of traditional Takaoka crafts and the popular manga by Fujio F. Fujiko, who comes from the city.
There is also a popular series of Doraemon animated films.
The items include a set of chopstick rests in the shape of five of Doraemon’s secret gadgets, including the Dokodemo door (Anywhere door) and Takecopter (Hopter), a set of small blades that are placed on the head so the user can fly like a helicopter. There are also Doraemon-shaped paper weights and small plates in the shape of the Time furoshiki, a square piece of cloth that changes the speed of time for the object covered by it.
Those products are made of tin. Thanks to the characteristics of the material, users can bend the plates, which are only 1.5 millimeters thick.
(Read also: 10 old-school mangas we just can’t forget)
A wind bell in the shape of Doraemon’s head and a hook depicting the robot cat seen from behind are made of brass. All the products come in a blue box, the color of Doraemon.
The company started developing the items three years ago. Every detail was worked on under the supervision of Doraemon’s publisher, from the molds and designs to the wording on the leaflets accompanying the products.
“I hope [with these products] we can make it known around the whole country that Takaoka is the city of cast metal and Doraemon,” said Katsuji Nousaku, the president of the company.
A set of the chopstick rests and the wind bell cost ¥7,000 (US$69) each plus tax. The small plate is ¥4,200 plus tax, and the paper weight is ¥3,800 plus tax. The hook, which will go on sale in the near future, costs ¥5,800 plus tax.
The items, apart from the hook, are available at Gallery Nousaku in Takaoka; Toyama Daiwa department store and Marier Toyama in Toyama; and Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store in Chuo Ward, Tokyo.
