Doraemon at the National Museum of Singapore
Before the reign of Ben10 and Spongebob Squarepants, we had good old Doraemon – a 90s classic seeded with life’s many lessons that we religiously watched every Sunday.
Decades have passed but if you still occasionally dream of possessing Doraemon’s magical pocket or are one of the few OG fans who know why he’s blue in colour, make your way down to the National Museum’s Doraemon exhibit to pay homage to your childhood.
From now till 27th December, 14 Doraemon statues gloriously stand on the National Museum’s front lawn for you to load up on photos and check out his range of handy gadgets IRL. Here are 9 Doraemon gadgets that you’ll notice while you’re there:
1. Pretend you’re travelling overseas with the Anywhere Door
Well, Singaporeans can’t travel overseas now but we’ve found a worthy substitute on the National Museum’s Lawn. The imposing Anywhere Door is a familiar one throughout the Doraemon series and we had a fun time coming up with poses; popping in and out with it.
Doraemon fans would also be familiar with the Obtaining Bag – a pink bag that produces anything that the user wants, including the Anywhere Door.
Doraemon episode: Appears frequently in the series
What can it do: transport the user to whatever location they desire by walking through it.
2. Try to skip 2020 with the Time Machine
2020 without a doubt has been the worst year, period. But with Doraemon’s Time Machine, travel back in time to relieve your beach holiday in Phuket, or fast-forward to a post-COVID-19 world.
Reality tells us we can’t actually travel in time, but we sure can pretend. Like how I’m pretending to be caught in this time vortex taking me forward in time to 2021. It makes for a good boomerang shot too!
Doraemon episode: A Beautiful Girl that Nobita Loved
What can it do: Using it, one can travel through both time and space.
3. Dodge awkward encounters with the Substitution Sticker
This mailbox was one of the items that “substituted” Doraemon in the episode “The Substitution Sticker”. What I would have given for a sticker like this to turn into a pole when running into an ex in public.
Doraemon episode: The Substitution Sticker
What can it do: The stickers allow their user to substitute an item for another by writing that object’s name on the sticker, and applying the sticker to an item that they want to “substitute”.
4. Pretend to be a Ninja with the Denkomaru Sword
“Look at me, ma! I’m holding a sword!” Pretty sure my mum would disapprove of me learning how to fight with a sword. No worries though, the illusion of holding one is good enough for me.
Doraemon episode: Nobita vs Musashi: The Battle Shortly Before Ganryujima and Chase the Dorayaki Legend!
What can it do: It allows its bearer to parry incoming attacks and performs exceptional Kenjutsu and Iaijutsu.
5. Ace exams with the Copying Toast
It’s a long-running joke that burning your exam notes into ashes and downing it in a mixture of water will make your brain “absorb” all the information. What we’d do to live in the world of Doraemon, where this is actually a reality with the Copying Toast . All the user has to do is press a side of the toast on their notes and eat it right after.
Doraemon episode: Stand by Me Doraemon and Angry Popcorn
What can it do: It allows the user to memorise any content ‘printed’ on it.
6. Find your lost child using the Finding Person Umbrella
Picture this – you’ve lost your kid in a shopping mall and don’t know what to do. In most cases, you’d be heading straight for the information counter, but in the world of Doraemon, the Finding Person Umbrella will get the job done for you in half the time. Whip it out and it’ll point you in the direction of your missing person.
Doraemon episode: The Odd, Odd Umbrellas
What can it do: Finds people.
7. Score full marks with the Computer pencil
Well, here’s a surefire way to get full marks for your math exam. I’m wondering if it’ll work with love letters though – if you use it to write a letter to your crush, does it guarantee that they’ll be willing to go out with you? Hmmm…
Doraemon episode: I Got 100%, For Once in My Life…
What it can do: When one writes with it, it will write the correct answer no matter what.
9. Entertain your petty nature with Octopus Ink
Ah, this gadget speaks to my petty soul. We’ve all had that irrational dislike for someone at work or school – even a simple “hi, how are you?” is enough to get us rolling our eyes. If you’re trying to get your friends to get on the same page as you, use this Octopus Ink on the person – just don’t tell your pals you learnt this trick from us.
Doraemon episode: –
What it can do: When the ink from this octopus is applied on a person, they will be hated by everyone.
Bonus: Learn about gadgets of Singapore’s past and win merch
The Come-here-cat and Evo-devo Beam
Take a break from all that posing and head into the National Museum where you’ll be able to admire more of Doraemon’s gadgets at the showcase, Gadgets Of The Future. The Come-here-cat helps attract customers to your business and the Evo-devo Beam that allows you to see the past and future form of an object.
You’ll also be able to learn more about Singapore’s history with Gadgets Of The Past, where you can read up on items like the “Rocket” cut-glass table lamp from the 1960s and the Motorola pager from the 1980s.
Doraemon merch will be available at the National Museum, designed by homegrown lifestyle brand Supermama.
To add to your collection of Doraemon merch at home, walk away with exclusive merch like this Doraemon notebook and postcards when you take part in Let’s jalan-jalan!. This online trail launches on 31st October 2020 and will let you rediscover fun facts about Singapore’s 14 neighbourhoods through an island-wide hunt.
The Museum will also be launching Get Curious! – a tic-tac-toe activity for kids from 16th November 2020 with these prizes up for grabs.
Image credit: Polar Puffs and Cakes
While you’re there, satisfy your sweet tooth with these Doraemon-themed cakes ($4.80) that’ll be available on selected weekends.
Here’s where and when you’ll be able to find this pop-up cake stand:
Shorter concourse: 31st Oct – 1st Nov, 14th – 15th Nov
Salon foyer: 21st – 22nd Nov, 12th – 13th Dec, and 26th – 27th Dec
Visit the Doraemon Exhibit at National Museum
Whether you’re a fan of this blue and white robot cat or not, we can all agree that it’s definitely one of the most iconic characters to come out of Japanese manga. The Doraemon exhibit at the National Museum will only be up from 31st October – 27th December 2020, so remember to make a trip down before it’s gone.
Remember to bring a hat and slap on some sun-block to take your pictures down at the lawn – you won’t want to be squinting your eyes!
Date: 31st October – 27th December 2020
Opening hours: 10AM – 7PM, Daily
Address: 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897
Admission: Free admission for Singaporeans and PRs | Tourists and Foreign Residents – $15 for Adults, $10 for concession holders, students, seniors and special access
More information on Doraemon’s Time-Travelling Adventures in Singapore
Other museums in Singapore:
Photography by Ian Ling, edited by Alaric Sim.