Meeting Doraemon in Japan 😍

Going to Japan has been one of our dreams. Well, one for the good things & experiences that we heard & read. Two, to experience it first hand and see with my bare eyes the beauty of Japan. I guess, it’s part of everyone’s bucket list. It just so happened that it’s stricter for Filipinos. But there’s always a way. 😉

And yeah, we found our way! So again, I think I’ve been saying this over again. Haha But when we received our approved visa and I was purchasing tickets, I asked my sister to choose any Disney Park she wants as long as the Fujiko F. Fujio Museum will be included.

But why?

Cause it is the home of one of my fave characters, Doraemon. My liking of Doraemon started in college when a friend would call me him cause I have a round face. Before Doraemon, I like also Piglet, the bestfriend of Pooh then when I started working, I was tagged as Dora because I am always traveling.

And that’s why I called my blog site ezaiplorer because of Dora the explorer. Hahaha I just changed Dora to Ezai which no one calls me that by the way except for one on different spelling and added plorer from explorer. And then, when I started using it, I loved it and people tend to embrace too. 😅

Too much fun facts about my life, though. Hehehe Time for some fun facts about the museum. 😉

What is Fujiko F Fujio Museum?

Fujiko F Fujio Museum is home to the work, ideas and masterpieces of Fujiko F. Fujio, whose real name is Hiroshi Fujimoto. He constantly wrote Manga which filled the readers’ heart with joy. Here’s a photo I got from the museum site.

The museum is located also in 2-8-1 Nagao, Tama-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan. The city that rewarded him with Cultural Award for continuously illustrated manga for children.

The museum is open from 10AM to 6PM every Wednesday to Monday and close every Tuesday and New Year. There are 4 different admission times: 10AM, 12NN, 2PM, and 4PM. The admission fee is 1000 yen for Adults and College Students; 700 yen for High School and Junior High School Students; 500 yen for Children over 4 years old; Free for Children 3 years old and below.

How to purchase the ticket?

Visitors cannot purchase the tickets in the museum itself. Instead, you need to advance purchase the tickets specifying the date and time you will be visiting. If you are from Japan, you can purchase the ticket through any Lawson Stores. Otherwise, you can purchase it online (check this link for more details).

How to get there?

If you’re coming from Tokyo, it would take you about an hour or more to get to the museum. We took a train from our hotel to Mukogaoka-Yuen Station.

When we arrived there, we got off and went out heading to the bus station. It’s just a short walk and it’s so easy to locate the bus station because there is a Doraemon signs. You will take the Kawasaki City Bus with stop at the front of the museum.

I was so amazed while riding the bus cause we were able to see the neighborhood of Kawasaki City. Which is different by Tokyo because it’s more quiet and less crowded.

You will then be welcomed by the staff of the museum and directed you to fall in line.

What to see in the museum?

The museum has 3 floors and a Rooftop Playground.

1st Floor has the Entrance Hall where upon entering, a staff will orient the visitors on the rules then on the next door, the reception, is where the staff would provide you a phone. It will be useful when exploring the exhibits and works of Mr. Fujiko. The phone comes in different language – English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean. You will be asked to pick the language then they will hand over. They will provide you instructions on how to use. The phone comes with recording of the information about certain stuff you see inside.

Also found in the 1st floor are the Exhibition Rooms. There are 2 Exhibition Rooms – the Permanent and Planned Exhibition Halls. One rule that apply for both is that NO TAKING OF PHOTOS AND VIDEOS on the original work of Mr. Fujiko.

You can also find in the Exhibition Rooms the materials he used to create his works like the pencils. There are also creation that came with stories which you can listen through the phone.

Another room found in the 1st floor is the Teacher’s Room. It is a replica of how his workstation looks like. It’s beautiful and seems like he’s really there.

2nd Floor has the Animals Room, Teacher’s Day, Open Space for Everyone, Comics Corner, Kids Space, and F Theater.

The Animals Room consist of different animals created from paper cutting.

Teacher’s Day is a wall filled of the storyline of Mr. Fujiko. It is where you can find his journey to becoming one of the best Manga creators or artists. You can also see the different works he has and other memories of how great he is. Of course, his most popular work is Doraemon.

Comics Corner is where you can find Doraemon holding a Manga and his favorite bread in the middle of a bench/couch filled with Doraemon manga/comics. A heaven for every Doraemon fan to read his story once again. The problem for me is that I can’t read and understand Nihongo. 😄

There’s a Kids Space where the kids can play like in the park.

Open Space for Everyone is where you can find the replica of Nobita’s house and play using the iPad there to see Doraemon and Nobita inside. There are also vending machines where you can buy Doraemon stuffs in an egg shell. Then there’s a wall where you can find other Doraemon stuff.

F Theater is just in the corner of that wall. They will be showing you Doraemon episode but again, in Nihongo. Though we still watched for experience and we still did laugh together with the other visitors. Haha.

Outside in this level is a ground with Mr. Fujiko, Doraemon and friends. You can also sit on the concrete ledges and enjoying the cold fresh air.

On the 3rd Floor, you can find the Rooftop Playground which they called Harappa, Museum Cafe, and Gift Corner Fujikoya.

In Harappa, you will find some Doraemon life-sized statues. They were being scattered all over the place surrounded with trees and with the sound of crickets.

Then, you will find Fujikoya. Here you can buy your favorite Doraemon snacks from bread to marshmallows to the red bean bread and a lot more. Actually, I spent a lot in here. Haha

Then beside it is the Museum Cafe that serves dishes and drinks with Doraemon design.

Walking distance from there is another area where you can sit and just relax. Except that it’s very hot and sunny when we got there. Hehe

You might be wondering where to buy souvenirs. Well, it can be found in the 1st Floor. The Museum Shop is a place every visitor should pass by before going out the museum. It’s like your exit point. You can buy shirts, bags, magnets, Keychains, books, pencils, snacks, stuffed toys, etc. And again, I gone beyond budget here! Hahaha

So there! I hope you had a great glimpse on our visit to Doraemon. And really, it is every Doraemon lover’s haven. ❤️

Come and visit it when you’re in Japan. 😊

P. S. I don’t watch every Doraemon episodes but I’m started collecting Doraemon stuffs from the places I’ve been to. Every Doraemon stuff gives me joy. For real! 😁

P. P. S. I have a VLOG in my YouTube channel about our Doraemon visit. Hope you can check too. 😍

A Manga that I can enjoy drawing and that people will enjoy reading. That is the sort of Manga I aspire to create.

Fujiko F. Fujio