干ばつの続くタイで、ドラえもんが雨乞いの儀式に使われ、本物の猫の身代わりになっていたことがわかった。儀式の後には雲が現れ、人々が喜んだという。イギリス・BBCなどが6月29日、報じた。
儀式は、タイ北部のプレー県で行われた。成長したとうもろこしが、日照りのため枯れ始めたことで、儀式が執り行われることになったという。
儀式では本来、本物の黒猫をカゴの中に入れて神輿のように担ぎ、歌ってダンスをしながら街中を練り歩く。猫は水を嫌うことから、現地では猫が鳴けば雨が降るとされており、かごを揺らしたり、水をかけたりする内容だった。
しかし、動物愛護のために本物の猫を使うことが違法だとみなされ、代役を立てることになった。ドラえもんが選ばれたのは、「他のネコの人形がなかったからだ」と地元に住むラタカーンさんは述べた。
みんな大好き ドラえもん 画像集
Philippines Swine Flu(01 of17)
A passenger wears a mask featuring Japanese popular cartoon cat Doraemon, as she goes through thermal scanners, not shown, to detect symptoms of the Swine Flu at the arrival area of Manila\'s International Airport, Philippines on Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009 . U.S. President Barack Obama has declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, but Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque has allayed fears of a possible renewed upsurge of swine flu cases in the country, saying the system to address the problem was already in place, and 99 percent of local patients eventually recovered. As of October 17, the health department has recorded 5,212 H1N1 cases in the country of which 30 died. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Indonesia Daily Life(02 of17)
A street busker dressed as Japanese anime character Doraemon plays with children at the National Monumenet in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Dec. 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Indonesia Protest(03 of17)
An Indonesian worker wears a mask of Japanese character doraemon during a rally against cheap wages in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Sept 15, 2014. Thousands of factory workers took to the streets in the capital to protest against outsourcing and low wages.(AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Indonesia Ramadan(04 of17)
A Muslim woman holds a balloon of Japanese cartoon character Doraemon during Eid al-Fitr prayer that marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan on Parangkusumo beach in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Gembong Nusantara) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Malaysia Doraemon Expo(05 of17)
A visitor walks past models of Doraemon, one of Japan\'s most popular animation characters, during the \"100 Doraemon Secret Gadgets Expo\" in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. Malaysia is the first Southeast Asian country to host the expo with displaying 100 life-sized Doraemon models with different gestures and facial expressions until March 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Doraemon hat | ××××¢ ××ר××××(06 of17)
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Doraemon Latte(07 of17)
(credit:toyohara/Flickr)
Doraemon Theme Park Built In Shanghai(08 of17)
SHANGHAI, CHINA - JULY 14: (CHINA OUT) A young girl plays with an air-filled toy in the Doraemon Theme Park at Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Hall July 14, 2007 in Shanghai, China. The theme park involves cartoon shows, photography, amusements featuring the story of Doraemon. Doraemon, a blue mechanical cat, is a cartoon figure that first appeared in a popular comic series in Japan. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images) (credit:China Photos via Getty Images)
Malaysia Hot Air Balloon(09 of17)
Japanese Doraemon hot air balloon, left, and other balloons fly over during the Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2011 in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, March 17, 2011. Twenty-six balloons from 13 countries participated in the annual event. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A 30-metre-tall hot-air balloon in the s(10 of17)
TOKYO, JAPAN: A 30-metre-tall hot-air balloon in the shape of Japanese animation charactor, Doraemon (R), flies over Yoyogi park in Tokyo, 11 October 2003. Organisers of the Saga International Balloon Fiesta held the demonstration to promote their upcoming four-day-long balloon festival starting 30 October. AFP PHOTO/TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA (Photo credit should read TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA via Getty Images)
A single-seat electric vehicle shaped li(11 of17)
TOKYO, JAPAN: A single-seat electric vehicle shaped like the Japanese cartoon character Doraemon, produced by Japanese toy giant Takara, is driven in front of the newly opened shopping mall \'Coredo Nihonbashi\' in downtown Tokyo, 30 March 2004. The vehicles are priced at 10,000 USD each. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO (Photo credit should read YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:YOSHIKAZU TSUNO via Getty Images)
Doraemon(12 of17)
Doraemon la lleva, Nobita es muy leso :P (credit:Wen Rou/Flickr)
Japan's toy maker Epoch employee display(13 of17)
Tokyo, JAPAN: Japan\'s toy maker Epoch employee displays the sensor video game machine shaped \'Take-copter\', known as Japanese famous cartoon character Doraemon\'s magic tool to fly in the air at Asia\'s largest International Tokyo Toy Show, 14 July 2006. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO (Photo credit should read YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:YOSHIKAZU TSUNO via Getty Images)
Japan' toy giant Bandai employee Ayumi M(14 of17)
TOKYO, JAPAN: Japan\' toy giant Bandai employee Ayumi Mitsui chats with popular cartoon character Doraemon shaped robot \'Doraemon the Robot\', 26.5cm in tall and weighing 1.3kg, equipped with more than 10 sensors and enables to speak 750 phrases in response to questions or touches on it at the company\'s headquaters in Tokyo 16 January 2004, while Mitsui holds a remote controler to move it. Bandai will put it on the market in March with a price of 19,800 yen (186 USD). (Photo credit should read YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:YOSHIKAZU TSUNO via Getty Images)
China Doraemon Expo(15 of17)
A woman poses for a souvenir photo with models of Doraemon, one of Japan\'s most popular animation characters, during the \"100 Doraemon Secret Gadgets Expo\" held outside a shopping mall in Beijing, China Wednesday, April 30, 2014. The expo displaying 100 life-sized Doraemon models with different gestures and facial expressions, runs until June 22. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
NTT Central Personal Communications Network Inc.,(16 of17)
TOKYO, JAPAN: NTT Central Personal Communications Network Inc., a Japanese mobile phone service provider, unveils a new cellular phone featuring Japanese cartoon character \'Doraemon\' in Tokyo 16 December. The system is designed to play the theme song of the cartoon series when a telephone call is received and the voice of the character answers if the receiver is absent. The firm will put it on the Japanese market from early February, priced at 20,000 yen (about 150 dollars). (Photo credit should read AFP/Getty Images) (credit:- via Getty Images)
APTOPIX Japan Tokyo International Film Festival(17 of17)
Japan\'s popular animation character Doraemon walks on the red carpet with children during the opening ceremony of the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival in Tokyo, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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