Nobisuke Nobi endured a harsh World War II childhood in Japan. Facing brutal labor conditions, he once contemplated suicide by drowning, prevented only when a time-traveling Nobita (disguised as a girl) and Doraemon intervened, offering him chocolate. As a youth, he showed significant artistic talent, attracting a wealthy patron who proposed career support in exchange for marrying his daughter, Kaniko Kanimitsu. Nobisuke declined and was expelled, later meeting and marrying Tamako Kataoka. His childhood was shaped by a strict father and a kind mother, forging his disciplined yet compassionate outlook. Professionally, Nobisuke works as a company employee, navigating workplace pressures, managerial duties, and typical salaryman stress. His hobbies include golf, fishing, painting, camera collecting, and mahjong, though he struggles athletically and possesses notoriously poor driving skills that have prevented him from obtaining a driver's license. He also contends with persistent habits like smoking and occasional overconsumption of alcohol, toned down in recent adaptations. Within his family, Nobisuke maintains gentleness and patience toward his son Nobita, contrasting with Tamako's stricter approach. He frequently offers moral guidance, emphasizing perseverance and facing challenges directly. His parenting includes practical lessons, like having Nobita earn money through chores to understand work's value and secretly purchasing sports equipment to encourage activity. Despite occasional forgetfulness or bringing inappropriate gifts, he consistently prioritizes his family's wellbeing. He readily accepts Doraemon as a household member, appreciating the robotic cat's support for Nobita. Notable developmental moments occur in stories like "The Day When I Was Born," where Nobisuke reassures a doubting Nobita about his birth and parental love. His advice, "Difficulties makes a person better," becomes a recurring thematic element. Nobisuke often inadvertently interacts with Doraemon's gadgets, leading to comedic or chaotic situations involving hypnosis, transformation, or other effects. Despite mishaps, he occasionally emerges as an unexpected stabilizing figure during family crises. Design variations show Nobisuke with larger eyes in earlier anime adaptations (1973, 1979) and smaller eyes in the 2005 series, with recent episodes reverting to larger eyes. His character design was reused in various Fujiko Fujio works between 1969 and 1996. International adaptations occasionally censored his smoking habit, such as Malaysian manga releases using pixelation. His English name is Toby, derived from the Greek name Τοβίας (Tobías).