What is the price of his favorite food, dorayaki, in the 22nd century?
Haha, you've hit the nail on the head! This is something many Doraemon fans have debated!
To clarify this, we first need to establish one thing: In the Doraemon manga and anime, the official standard price for a normal-sized dorayaki in the 22nd century is never given.
However, we do have some clues to go by. The most famous one is this:
In one episode (or manga chapter), Doraemon once bought a "mini dorayaki" at a future department store for 10 yen.
Seeing this price, you might be mind-blown! 10 yen? At current exchange rates, that's less than half a Chinese yuan. But this was a "mini version," probably bite-sized, and it was very likely a special sale price.
So, how much does a normal-sized dorayaki cost? We can only make some fun speculations based on hints within the work.
Why is the price so "mysterious"? We can speculate from a few angles
1. Super Stable Economy, Almost No Inflation
- The simplest explanation: Japan's economy in the 22nd century might have reached a very stable and mature stage, with prices barely changing. Think about it: the currency unit is still called "yen" from the 20th to the 22nd century, which itself suggests economic continuity and stability. Unlike today, where the price of a bowl of noodles decades ago is worlds apart from now.
2. Extremely Advanced Productivity, Negligible Costs
- A more sci-fi explanation: By the 22nd century, making a dorayaki might be as simple as printing a piece of paper is for us now. Fully automated machines, cheaper synthetic ingredients (like synthesizing flour and red bean paste from air and water?), all make food production costs extremely low. So, selling a dorayaki for tens of yen (say, 30-50 yen) is entirely possible, allowing everyone to easily achieve "dorayaki freedom."
3. Dorayaki Comes in "Standard" and "Luxury" Versions
- The foodie perspective: Just like cars today range from affordable commuter models to million-dollar sports cars, future dorayaki might also come in different tiers.
- Budget version: Mass-produced by machines, probably costing tens of yen each. Tasty and filling.
- Premium Doraemon Edition: The ones Doraemon eats every time might not be ordinary. He probably goes to future "trendy shops" or "century-old establishments," like handcrafted dorayaki from "XX-do". These dorayaki would have thin skins, generous fillings, and premium ingredients, naturally costing more – perhaps several hundred yen each. This could also explain why, despite the Nobi family not being wealthy, Doraemon often goes crazy craving dorayaki – because he wants the good kind!
Conclusion
So, to summarize:
- Confirmed price: Mini dorayaki, 10 yen.
- Normal-sized dorayaki: No official price. But based on speculation, a standard version might cost 30-100 yen (approximately 2-5 Chinese yuan), while the premium version Doraemon craves could cost 200-500 yen or even more.
Ultimately, Fujiko F. Fujio probably didn't think about it that deeply; he just wanted to use dorayaki to shape Doraemon's adorable character. But from this tiny price detail, we can glimpse his beautiful vision of the future world – an era of immense material abundance where everyone can easily enjoy delicious food. Isn't that more interesting than a specific price number, don't you think?