50 Years Of Comic Series Publication: Bronze Statue Of Doraemon, Nobita And The Doors To Everywhere Unveiled In Tokyo

Inauguration of the bronze statues of Doraemon and Nobita in Tokyo, Japan. (Screenshot of KyodoNews YouTube channel)

JAKARTA - A bronze statue of the iconic Japanese manga character Doraemon was unveiled in Shibuya District, Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, following the 50th anniversary of the publication of the comic series of the same name.

The opening ceremony was held on the birthday of comics creator Fujiko F. Fujio (1933-1996), with the work entitled 'Doraemon's Door to the Future' also featuring the character's famous 'Door to Anywhere' teleportation gadget.

The statue, erected on the roof of the Miyashita Park complex, was created by a production company founded by a manga artist and has been donated to Shibuya Ward, where the area around the main train station is being renovated as a place to spread culture with futuristic imagery.

The work features 11 popular characters created by Fujiko, including those from the "Perman" and "Kiteretsu Daihyakka" series as well as seven gadgets from "Doraemon."

The statue is 3,921 meters high, overturning the fictional figures of Doraemon as high as 1,293 meters, according to ceremony organizers.

"This work has a vivid design. I want children to see dreams and hopes for the future," said Kazuhiko Akatsu, president of Fujiko Pro Co., according to Kyodo News December 1.

The comic series 'Doraemon' started in a children's magazine in January 1970 and marked its 50th anniversary last year, but the statue's installation was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the pandemic has also caused renewed interest in the series, with the first manga volume recording sales of over 11,000 copies in March 2020. A one-month record for the 21st century and share of the overall sales of over 5 million copies of publications featuring Doraemon in 12 years. last month since November last year.