I grew up watching Doraemon (and his obsession with Dorayaki) every Sunday morning. Doraemon is a Japanese animation about a cat from the future with a pocket that can produce many fancy gadgets. Doraemon, the cat, lives with Nobita (a boy with a simp personality – sorry, IDK how else to describe him better) and his family.
In each episode, Nobita faces problems or misfortunes. And Doraemon would come to rescue him from the situation! I remember thinking Doraemon should leave Nobita and live with my family. We would treat him so much better than Nobita does.
Anyway, Doraemon is crazy about Dorayaki, a Japanese pastry. Imagine two mini pancakes smooshed together with azuki bean paste in between it.
Doraemon’s obsession with Dorayaki eventually became my obsession with Dorayaki (by now, I believe you have already found out that TV shows dictate half of my life decisions).
On our last night in Tokyo, when my friends were resting in the room, I wandered around Shinjuku to find Dorayaki.
I was embarrassed to ask the locals where I could get it. Wouldn’t it be too obvious? An adult tourist with a child’s mind. So I roamed around until I found a pastry shop. I took what I assumed was Dorayaki to the cashier and found the courage to ask her whether the one I was holding was a Dorayaki. She made a no gesture.
It was not! Gaah!
But then she was so nice to point at another pastry as Dorayaki.
“It doesn’t look like the one on the TV,” I told her. She looked at me, confused, not understanding what I was whining about in English.
So I said, “Domo Arigato,” and bought a few Dorayaki. Victory at last!
Back in the hotel, I shared them with my friends. But, of course, it wasn’t as good as Doraemon made it feel twenty years ago. Still, it’s a lovely souvenir to bring back home for the ones who watched Doraemon with you. In my case, they were my cousins. Also, make sure you can give them soon, though, because Dorayaki has a short life span.
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