Doraemon: Nobita and the True Warrior: The Very Beginning

Chapter 8: The Cherry Blossom Festival

The town's annual Cherry Blossom Festival was unlike any other. Celebrated during the summer, it coincided with the blooming of rare late-season sakura trees, creating a dazzling display of pink blossoms under the sunny skies. This year's festival was particularly exciting for Nobita and his friends—it was the perfect way to kick off summer vacation.

At the Nobi household, Doraemon and Daiki sat at the table, making plans for the festival while Nobita lounged lazily on the floor.

"It's summer vacation!" Nobita whined, fanning himself with a comic book. "We're supposed to relax, not sweat in this heat!"

"Relax?" Daiki raised an eyebrow. "It's the Cherry Blossom Festival! Food, games, fireworks, and cherry blossoms—what's not to love?"

Doraemon chimed in. "Plus, the late-blooming sakura are really special. If we miss them, we'll have to wait an entire year."

This got Nobita's attention. "Wait... Shizuka's going too, right?"

"Of course," Doraemon said, already pulling out the Anywhere Door. "Now get ready, or Gian and Suneo will eat everything before we get there."

The festival was already in full swing when the trio arrived. Lanterns hung from every branch, swaying gently in the summer breeze, and the air was filled with the smell of roasted sweet potatoes and sizzling yakitori. Families picnicked under the trees, while children ran through the crowd clutching colorful balloons.

"Whoa," Daiki said, spinning around to take in the sights. "This is even better than I imagined!"

Nobita, meanwhile, scanned the crowd eagerly. "Where's Shizuka?"

They soon spotted her near a stall selling handmade fans. "Hi, Shizuka!" Nobita called, waving so enthusiastically that he nearly dropped his bag.

"Hi, Nobita, Doraemon, Daiki!" Shizuka greeted them with a smile. "Isn't the festival beautiful? I've never seen summer cherry blossoms like this before."

"They're rare," Doraemon explained. "They only bloom for a short time, which is why this festival is so important."

"Let's enjoy it while it lasts!" Daiki said, already eyeing a takoyaki stall.

The group soon bumped into Gian and Suneo, who were already in the thick of the festivities. Gian was munching on yakitori, while Suneo proudly displayed a bag full of prizes he had won at the game booths.

"Look at this haul!" Suneo bragged. "I'm cleaning out the festival today!"

"You probably just begged the vendors for extra chances," Gian teased, earning a scowl from Suneo.

"I won them fair and square!" Suneo protested.

"Let's split up and explore!" Daiki suggested. "There's so much to see!"

At the Game Booths

Suneo dragged everyone to a ring-toss game, boasting that he had "perfect aim." Gian, however, knocked over every bottle in one toss, winning the grand prize: a giant stuffed bear.

"Beginner's luck!" Suneo huffed.

"Call it skill," Gian said smugly, hugging his prize.

Daiki, meanwhile, tried his hand at a shooting game but accidentally knocked over a nearby lantern instead of the targets. The vendor sighed but handed him a consolation prize anyway.

The Food Stalls

The group visited the food stalls, where Gian insisted on trying everything from grilled corn to taiyaki. Nobita, eager to keep up, ended up with brain freeze after eating a bowl of kakigori (shaved ice) too quickly.