TV Asahi will broadcast the Doraemon Birthday Special on September 6 at 6:56 p.m., featuring actor Koizumi Kotaro as a guest voice cast member — his first appearance in the Doraemon franchise.
Plot: A Stolen Gem and a Wanted Robot Cat
The Doraemon Birthday Special is an annual tradition timed to Doraemon’s birthday on September 3. This year’s story kicks off when a jewel worth approximately one billion yen, known as “The Smile of the Dorayaki,” is stolen. Security camera footage implicates Doraemon, leading to his wanted notice being issued across all regions and all eras, with a bounty placed on his head. A colorful cast of bounty hunters then descends on Doraemon one after another as he desperately tries to clear his name.
Koizumi Kotaro as Howard Richie
Koizumi voices Howard Richie, the owner of the stolen gem and a mega-billionaire from the 22nd century. Determined to recover his prized jewel, Richie spares no effort — placing a massive bounty on Doraemon, making personal television appeals to the public, and repeatedly raising the reward amount to corner the fugitive robot cat.
Koizumi’s Comments
Koizumi said he never imagined he would get to be part of Doraemon, calling it a true honor since it is a series he has watched since childhood. On the character of Richie, he described him as a “capable man” — competent, smart, personable, and deeply knowledgeable about art and beautiful things, which fits naturally with his attachment to the precious jewel at the center of the story.
Reflecting on the recording session, Koizumi admitted to feeling enormous pressure. Unlike stage or screen acting, where the presence of other performers provides natural cues for distance and vocal volume, voice acting requires building the entire space through imagination alone. He had taken on voice work once before and felt he had fallen short, so he was nervous from the day before the session — but said that prior experience made a clear difference this time.
Asked which of Doraemon’s secret gadgets he would most want, Koizumi said that as a child he dreamed of the Anywhere Door and the Take-copter, but today his answer would be the Time Machine. He would use it to travel to the past to verify whether historical portraits actually resembled their subjects, and to the future to see what Japan and the world look like 100 years from now — though he admitted he would be too scared to peek at his own future.
In a message to viewers, Koizumi revealed that the script moved him to tears, praising the story’s portrayal of fundamental human values and the bond between Doraemon and Nobita. He encouraged both children and adults to watch together, promising a heartwarming experience alongside the charming characters the series is beloved for.
The Doraemon Birthday Special airs on TV Asahi and affiliated stations on September 6 at 6:56 p.m.
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