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Scooby, Scooby-Doo, where are you? Ah, you’re in Japan!

Over the past few years, Japan has become one of the world’s most popular destinations for international travelers, with everyone from overseas otaku to major celebrities putting it on their travel itineraries. And soon Japan will be adding a few more high-profile guests, with the announcement of a new Scooby-Doo animated series that’s not only set in Japan, but animated by a major anime studio.

Warner Bros. has unveiled Yokoso Scooby-Doo, a new series starring the famous mystery-solving pooch, describing the premise as:

“While visiting Japan on the ultimate foodie adventure, Scooby-Doo and Shaggy unwittingly unleash hundreds of mythical monsters that are causing trouble across the country. With the help of Scooby’s uncle, Daisuke-Doo, along with new friends, a magical girl Yume and gadget whiz Takumi, the group embarks on an all-new mystery filled with monster chasing and fun chaos.”

あのハンナ・バーベラの名作『弱虫クルッパー』こと『スクービー・ドゥ』が…日本にやって来た！？
しかも日本アニメっぽく！？
最新作『YOKOSO SCOOBY DOO！』は
アメリカ限定完全無料配信サービス
『tubi』にて配信決定

日本の妖怪からも逃げまくるシャギーとスクービーを見逃すな！ pic.twitter.com/MIXdfpL2RA

— カートゥーン大好きトゥン子さん@海外アニメ紹介！ (@newofcartoon) May 18, 2026

While Warner Bros. Animation is listed as the series’ producer, the company has announced that the visuals will come from OLM. Originally named Oriental Light and Magic, OLM is a Tokyo-based anime studio that was founded in 1990, and whose credits include work on Berserk, Inazuma Eleven, and Yo-kai Watch. They’re most famous, though, as the studio that’s been animating the Pokémon anime, all the way since its beginning in 1997. Yokoso Scooby-Doo will also be directed by Itsuro Kawasaki, director of the Pokémon Origins anime.

▼ Yokoso Scooby-Doo (meaning “Welcome, Scooby-Doo”) appears to be a reworking/retitling of the Go-Go Mystery Machine series that Warner Bros. originally announced in 2024.

2024年に発表された
日本を舞台にした「スクービードゥー」の新作「GO GO MYSTERY MACHINE」が
『YOKOSO SCOOBY DOO！』色々と変わって発表

しかも制作はワーナーと日本の「株式会社オー・エル・エム」(アニポケ作ってる会社)と共同

絵柄も何となく日本アニメっぽい pic.twitter.com/l4Ijqi3u1I

— アクタレマン (@akutareman) May 18, 2026

Looking at the preview visual for Yokoso Scooby-Doo (or maybe we should call it the “key art,” in keeping with anime industry jargon), the goofy-grin Shiba inu is, ostensibly, Scooby’s uncle, Daisuke-Doo. The series’ version of the Mystery Machine sports a cherry blossom design on its fascia-mounted spare tire cover (although in orange instead of sakura-pink), and the van even sports a yellow license plate of the type used by Japan’s kei jidosha class of sub-compact cars.

Yokoso Scooby-Doo will stream exclusively on Tubi in North America, while international distribution will be through Cartoon Network. Frank Welker and Matthew Lillard will reprise their roles as Scooby and Shaggy, respectively, and there’s been no word yet about a Japanese-language dub. There’s also no announced release date yet, but if you’re in the mood for anime takes on classic American cartoon characters right now, there’s the new Looney Tunes anime series to watch.

Source: Variety
Top image ©SoraNews24
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Children’s Peace Monument is going to be a quieter place for a while.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is located in the center of Hiroshima City, right across the street from where the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945. Aside from being a tranquil green space, the park contains several monuments to those who lost their lives in or after the bombing, one of which is the Children’s Peace Monument.

The Children’s Peace Monument was built in 1958, following the death of Sadako Sasaki, who was a 2-year-old girl living in Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped and died from leukemia 10 years later. The monument’s central structure consists of a statue of a child standing atop a stone dome, and suspended underneath it is a bell that visitors can ring as a symbol of their wish for peace.

As of May 18, though, the bell has been silenced, but not because of vandalism or a change in public opinion. The reason why is something much more heartwarming: a family of sparrows is moving into it.

A pair of sparrows has been seen gathering branches and placing them inside the bell in order to build a nest. The animals’ activity was first reported by a visitor to the park on May 18, and once administrators confirmed the nest’s presence, the decision was made to detach the chain by which the bell can be rung, in order to keep the nest from being shaken apart or its eventual eggs and hatchlings from being damaged.

▼ The bell’s design has a folded paper crane motif, as the tradition of folding 1,000 cranes to have one’s wish granted is heavily associated with Sasaki.

With Japan’s rainy season on the way, the bell provides a nesting spot that’s protected from the elements and also out of the line of sight of crows and other predators. The Hiroshima City government has said the sparrows are welcome to stay for as long as they need for their babies to grow large enough to leave the nest, at which time workers will remove it and replace the bell’s chain. A similar situation unfolded five years ago, when a different nest was discovered inside the bell and was left in place until its avian occupants vacated it.

Online reactions to the park’s decision have been overwhelmingly positive, and providing a place for new life to come into the world dovetails with Peace Memorial Park’s mission of being not just a place of remembrance, but also a symbol of hope for a compassionate future, and the Hiroshima City government has asked that parkgoers “Please be kind to the sparrows during your visit.”

Source: Chugoku Shimbun, FNN Prime Online
Top image: Wikipedia/Taisyo
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Bringing Japanese culture to the table in a delicious and heartwarming way. 

Japan has a wide variety of cultural values that underpin society in ways that are often unseen, and that includes the concept of mottainai. Literally translating as “wasteful“, this mindset holds a deep sense of regret when the potential value of something isn’t fully realised, and it encourages people to reuse, recycle and avoid unnecessary waste whenever possible, especially when food with gods is believed to be involved.

Now Starbucks is bringing the concept of mottainai to the table by creating a new set of Frappuccinos made with mottainai bananas. So-called as the bananas were destined for landfill, due to superficial skin blemishes and size issues that prevent them from being sold through mainstream channels, Starbucks is now putting this fruit to good use, and saving tonnes of bananas in the process. After incorporating imperfect fruit in the recently released Banana Affogato Frappuccino, the chain is now giving us another way to enjoy the taste of bananas while helping the planet, with a brand new release called the Honey Banana Frappuccino.

▼ The new drink, which contains real honey, is priced at 687 yen (US$4.30) for takeout or 700 yen for dine-in.

Starbucks describes the Frappuccino as perfectly balanced, with juicy banana notes and a rich honey sweetness coming together to create a delectable “golden flavour“. At the bottom of the cup, you’ll find pulp made from mottainai bananas for added sweetness and texture, while white chocolate-flavoured syrup, honey, and banana powder, also made from mottainai bananas, is blended into the milky body of the drink. Finished with a topping of whipped cream and honey, the Frappuccino has a rich, mellow flavour and luxurious taste that makes it ideal for early summer.

While the new drink is said to be delicious as is, Starbucks recommends altering the taste with a couple of customisations. By adding chocolate chips and chocolate sauce, the slightly bitter taste of cocoa creates a dessert-like flavour, and by adding vanilla bean-flavoured syrup and caramel sauce you can enjoy added richness and depth.

Whichever way you have it, the new Frappuccino promises to be a dream drink for banana lovers, but it will only be on the menu for a limited time, while stocks last, from 5 June.

Source, images: Press release
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Ikebukuro Pokémon superstore and Pikachu dessert cafe won’t be reopening until nearly half a year after murder.

In late March, the Pokémon Center superstore in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro neighborhood, also known as the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, became the scene of a tragedy as a 21-year-old worker was stabbed and murdered. The store, as well as the Pikachu Sweets cafe located a short distance away within the same shopping center, were immediately closed down for an indefinite period of time, and a number of events scheduled for April were cancelled at all other branches of the Pokémon Center chain, which has locations across Japan.

Initially, it seemed as if the Ikebukuro Pokémon Center might be reopening in early May, to coincide with the resumption of in-store events as well as Japan’s Golden Week spring vacation period. Golden Week came and went with the store’s shutters still closed, however, and they’re going to remain shut for several months more, as the Pokémon Company has announced that the Ikebukuro Pokémon Center will not be reopening until “around September.” The same timetable has been announced for the reopening of the Pikachu Sweets cafe, which has also remained closed since the incident.

▼ Pikachu Sweets is located on the same floor of the Sunshine City shopping mall as the Ikebukuro Pokémon Center, with the two stores less than a minute’s walk away from each other, but there is no indication that either the victim or murderer was at the cafe on the day of the stabbing.

No statement has been made about whether there will be any changes to the stores’ physical layouts, admission procedures, or any other aspects of its operations. With the murderer of the victim being an ex-boyfriend who was stalking her, the stabbing hasn’t been perceived as a sign of violence related towards Pokémon Center employees or Pokémon fans themselves, but the stabbing was still a shocking demonstration of vulnerabilities in the store’s security protocols, and with Pokémon Centers regularly being packed with customers, many of them children, on weekends and holidays, the Pokémon Company is no doubt feeling a need to rethink and retool how it handles guest safety issues.

Source: Pokémon Center official website (1, 2)
Photos ©SoraNews24
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Whatever happened to just faking a stomach ache?

In March, a restaurant in Saga City received a phone call, and when an employee answered it, the voice on the other end of the call gruffly commanded “Go check your entrance.” When the staff did, they discovered a piece of paper with a chilling message written on it:

“I have planted a bomb.”

On this same night, the restaurant had a reservation for a farewell party, in which a group of coworkers was celebrating a colleague who was leaving the organization. Obviously, the restaurant couldn’t tell customers to come on in after receiving a bomb threat, so the party was cancelled, though thankfully no explosives were found, and the threat turned out to be a hoax.

Since the party was supposed to be for a police officer in the Saga Prefectural Police, you might expect the culprit to be someone with a beef against the justice system. Maybe it was a teenage delinquent he’d busted for shoplifting, or the loyal lieutenant of a yakuza boss serving time after the officer put him behind bars. Following an investigation into the matter, though, it was discovered that the bomb threat came from the police officer himself. Why? In his words:

“I didn’t want to go to my farewell party.”

The officer, a man in his 20s attached to the central division of the Saga Prefectural Police, was supposed to be leaving the force at the end of March, meaning he had less than a month to go until he’d be free from all such after-work functions. Apparently one more after-work night with his coworkers was one too many for his tastes, though.

His base motivation isn’t so hard to understand. Work farewell parties can sometimes be unpleasant for the person who’s being celebrated, since avoiding saying anything bad about the job everyone else at the party still has, and also not coming off as bragging about their new job, can make for tense, awkward conversations. Unfortunately for the officer, who has admitted to making the bomb threat, he’s no doubt since had to have many much more awkward conversations since his actions came to light.

▼ “How come you don’t want to work with us anymore?” is still an easier conversation than “How come you threatened to blow up a building?”

The ploy even seems to have extended his time at his job, as instead of reaching the end of his duty period at the end of March, he was given a formal reprimand and resigned on April 30. His case has been referred to the public prosecutor on charges of forced obstruction of business and intimidation, though it’s unclear whether or not his case will go to trial.

So remember, whether you’re dreading going to a work function or simply have a grudge against Nintendo, a bomb threat is never the wise way to solve your problem.

Source: RKB Mainichi Hoso via Yahoo! Japan News via Golden Times
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Pakutaso
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No tentacles here, folks! Only beautifully strange plants.

If you’ve spent any time online, the word “hentai” probably conjures up some very specific imagery that you may not feel comfortable talking about with your family. However, Osaka is playing host to an event called the Hentai Shokubutsu Club (or “Hentai Plant Club”), where you can say without shame, “Hey, Mom! Let’s go see some hentai plants.”

To be perfectly clear, this event will involve substantially less tentacle-like appendages than you might be imagining, as in botanical science, “hentai” translates to the process of metamorphosis, or structural transformation. It refers to the fascinating way certain flora abandon typical plant architecture, morphing their leaves, roots and stems into unorthodox shapes to survive, and this summer will see a showcase of unusual yet absolutely gorgeous exotic plants.

Taking place on July 4 to July 5 at the Osaka Nanko ATC Hall, a short walk from Trade Center Mae on the New Tram Line, the Hentai Shokubutsu Club brings a Japanese television show of the same name to life, curated by the celebrity plant explorer Keisuke Hase and Tokyo influencer Botanical Gorilla, and introduces 20 vendors who will be showing off some of nature’s eccentric plants.

▼ Actor and comedian Hyoroku (left) is the face of the Hentai Shokubutsu Club show.

A selection of the transformations you can hope to see, as well as buy, at the venue are:

● Platycerium: These plants feature leaf dimorphism, where they grow two completely different types of leaves, one for trapping food, and the other to catch the sun. The company Groote Plantage specialize in the sale of platycerium and are based in Saitama, often traveling to Thailand to carefully select and import high-quality plants in a wide range of varieties.

● Anthurium: With deceiving heart-shaped “flowers” that are actually leaves that have undergone metamorphosis to trick pollinators, whereas the actual flowers are microscopic bumps on the central spike. The anthurium is on show by Acu’s Forest, based in Osaka, who sell domestically bred variants with a focus on leaf color, texture, and shape. This time, they’ll focus on anthurium with a velvet texture and veins with unique physical characteristics.

● Dyckia: Bromeliads that reflected the rainforest lifestyle, transforming their leaves into water tanks to survive arid cliffs, lining them with vicious-looking thorns to keep thirsty animals away. Thorns and Leaves handle both terrestrial and tank bromeliads, focusing on original dyckia hybridized and grown by themselves.

Alongside the plants, you could even take home some quirky little collectibles, like the adorable Mandragora figures crafted by B-The-U.

However, the activities don’t just stop with the plants, as the Hentai Shokubutsu Club is actually a special exhibition within the larger Reptiles Fever 2026 event, the largest of western Japan’s reptile expos.

Discount advance tickets, priced at 1,200 yen (US$7.50), are available online via platforms like Rakuten Travel, and convenience stores (links below), but it’s also possible to purchase an entry ticket on the day for 1,400 yen.

With how the plants have adapted for survival, they make for great additions to lush, bioactive terrariums for many of the reptiles attending the festival.

▼ Like this little guy!

The venue will be packed with reptiles, amphibians, breeding gear, and a family-friendly petting corner, making it the perfect weekend plan for anyone looking to experience the reptile-keeping hobby.

▼ Cute though they may be, I can’t vouch for how “reptilian” hedgehogs are, but they still make an appearance in the petting zoo.

So, grab your tickets and get ready to be amazed by reptilian beauty and the bizarre world of botanical hentai this summer.

Exhibition information
Hentai Shokubutsu Club / 変態植物倶楽部
Address: Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Suminoe-ku, Nankokite 2-1-10
大阪府大阪市住之江区南港北2-1-10
Dates: July 4, 2026–July 5, 2026
Open 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.)
Website

Related: Hentai Shokubutsu Club YouTube, Rakuten Travel, Lawson Ticket (code: 54813), 7-Eleven Ticket (code: 115-554)
Source and images: PR Times (1, 2)
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times PR Times (1, 2)
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SEREMBAN, June 3 — Yang Dipertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir today granted an audience to Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun at Istana Hinggap here.

The meeting, which began at 9 am, lasted almost two hours.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Aminuddin said the audience was part of his regular weekly schedule ahead of chairing the State Executive Council meeting.

“It is the usual Wednesday meeting,” he said briefly.

Yesterday, several leaders of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the state were reported to have held a meeting at the Menteri Besar’s official residence.

Negeri Sembilan DAP secretary Cha Kee Chin said the meeting was held to discuss the coalition’s preparations for the next state election. — Bernama

This gluten-free pizza swaps a traditional crust for a simple sweet potato and almond flour base that pairs beautifully with smoky barbecue sauce, tender chicken, and sharp red onion.

RD tip: Packed with fiber and protein, this pizza makes a great lunch option that should help keep you full throughout the afternoon.

Active time: 25 minutes | Total time: 50 minutes

BBQ Chicken Pizza With Sweet Potato Crust

Ingredients

• 1 lb (454g) sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp (62g) almond flour
• 1/4 cup (37g) gluten-free flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup low-sodium barbecue sauce
• 1 cup (110g) part-skim mozzarella, grated
• 1 1/2 cup (227g) boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and diced
• 1/4 small red red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place the sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water. Cover and microwave until very tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and mash until completely smooth (you should have about 1.5 cups). Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Add the almond flour, gluten-free flour, egg, and salt to the mashed sweet potatoes and stir to combine. Place the mixture on the prepared baking sheet and spread into a 10-by-8-by-1/2-inch (25 cm by 20 cm) rectangle using an offset spatula. Bake until the base is dry to the touch and beginning to brown on the edges, about 25 minutes.

Spread the barbecue sauce evenly over the pizza base. Top with the chicken, then arrange the onions and bell pepper evenly over the top. Sprinkle the cheese over everything. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden, about 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1/4 of a pizza

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 443; Total Fat: 19g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 119mg; Sodium: 573mg; Carbohydrate: 38g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 13g; Protein: 32g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 969mg; Iron: 11%; Vitamin A: 55%; Vitamin C: 63%; Calcium: 8%

Originally published June 9, 2020; Updated May 2026

The post BBQ Chicken Pizza With Sweet Potato Crust appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

Special sweets designed to satisfy your sweet tooth and cool you off in the summer heat.

This year is Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, and the franchise is celebrating in style at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, with the hotel offering amazing Pokémon-themed rooms including one with 30 Pikachu plushies to keep guests company during their stay. But what if you’ve already got a place to sleep in Tokyo? Does that mean you have to miss out on the collaboration’s fun?

Not at all, because the Grand Hyatt Tokyo’s restaurants are also part of the party, and they’re offering both sweet and savory Pokémon-themed eats all summer long!

Starting things off is the Sora Tobu Pikachu (“Pikachu in the Sky”) Gourmet Burger Set, with a Pikachu-yellow bun, the Hyatt’s original barbecue sauce, and jalapeno pickles. It’s accompanied by curry powder French fries and chilled corn soup, and to drink you get a “Pikachu soda,” which looks to be an ice cream float with boba-style tapioca balls too.

The Pikachu burger is available in the hotel’s Oak Door steakhouse restaurant, but just like wild Pokémon appear in different parts of their regions, there are other Pikachus at the Hyatt’s Fiorentina cafe, which is adding a Sora Tobu Pikachu Summer Parfait to its menu.

Since this is a parfait to be enjoyed during one of Japan’s notoriously hot and humid summers, this dessert bypasses heavy chocolate or caramel sauces. Instead, the key ingredients are mascarpone mousse, peach gelatin infused with butterfly pea, and coconut gelatin, for visuals evocative of a bright blue sky and puffy clouds. The “balloons” that are carrying Pikachu on this flight are actually orbs of frozen mousse in mango, orange, pistachio, blueberry, and raspberry flavors.

And there’s still one more place to score some Pokémon treats. Head to the Hyatt’s Fiorentina Pastry Boutique and you can pick up a Pokémon 30th Anniversary Mango Cake.

This fancy cake has layers of mango and coconut jelly inside almond sponge cake, topped with mango mouse and a bouquet’s worth of mango slices arranged in the shape of roses. But even with all those floral flourishes, fans’ eyes will be drawn to the pair of Pikachu chocolates.

For those looking for permanent reminders of their Pokémon sweets sessions, Fiorentina can also supply Grand Adventure Sweets Trunk Cases, with Pikachu mango cookies, Eevee coffee chocolate cookies, and Gen-1 starter trio chocolates in a bundle with a special tote bag and lunchbox-style case.

…or Grand Adventure Baton Chocolate sets, with an assortment of gourmet chocolates and the tote.

▼ The cookies and starter trio chocolates can also be purchased by themselves, if you’ve already got your carrying equipment needs sorted.

As for pricing, the intricate decadence of the Pokémon 30th Anniversary Mango Cake puts it at 12,600 yen (US$81). The Pikachu burger set, meanwhile, is 6,600 yen, and the parfait 3,520. The Sweets Trunk Case and Baton Chocolate sets are 7,500 and 6,800 yen, respectively. The by-themselves chocolates are 2,200 yen, and Pikachu and Eevee cookie boxes are 1,200 each.

The Pokémon/Grand Hyatt Tokyo collaboration runs from June 20 to August 31, but reservations can already be made for the burger, parfait, and cake through the hotel’s website. Reservations are highly recommended for the burger and parfait, as they’re limited to quantities of 20 each daily, and reservations of at least three days in advance are required to purchase the Pikachu cake.

And if Tokyo doesn’t figure into your Japan travel plans this summer, or if you’ve already got all your meals in the capital planned out, there’s some cool new Pokémon stuff happening in another part of the country too.

Related: Grand Hyatt Tokyo website
Source, images: PR Times
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KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — The finalisation of Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) seat allocation for the upcoming Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections will only be concluded after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim returns from his overseas trip, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.

The home minister and PH secretary-general said the matter would be brought to the coalition’s presidential council for endorsement, which is expected to be chaired by Anwar upon his return, according to a report by English daily The Star yesterday.

Saifuddin Nasution said the list of allocations would be tabled for confirmation at that meeting before any formal announcement is made.

“After that process, only then will it be official,” he said when asked about the progress of negotiations during the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly.

He added that earlier disputes involving overlapping claims for certain seats in Johor had already been resolved at the secretariat level.

“We managed to settle that during the Johor secretariat meeting,” he said.

Johor and Negeri Sembilan’s state assemblies were dissolved on June 1 and June 5 respectively, paving the way for the upcoming polls.

Saifuddin Nasution also touched on administrative matters, saying existing MyKad stock would continue to be used despite the expiry of a supply contract earlier this month, in a move aimed at avoiding wastage.

He said around 35,000 applications are received monthly for identity cards for Malaysians turning 12, adding that the rollout of new cards would be managed in a cost-efficient manner.

On the proposed 10-year Malaysian passport, Saifuddin said the government would announce the launch date at a later stage.

A new line of decorative mini figures made from gold pay homage to pioneering manga artist Osamu Tezuka’s massive influence on anime and manga.

U-Treasure, a Japanese jewelry brand that frequently partners with pop culture franchises for fun but classy keepsakes, is now taking preorders for the first three pieces in a new collaborative series paying homage to manga legend Osamu Tezuka.

The Osamu Tezuka World Gold Collection celebrates the 80th anniversary of the God of Manga‘s 1946 debut manga The Diary of Ma-chan (a four-panel newspaper comic strip). Tezuka continued to churn out classic works of manga for the rest of his life that revolutionized the genre and Japanese popular culture forevermore.

The standout piece of U-Treasure’s trio of offerings is undoubtedly the miniature figure of Tetsuwan Atom, better known as Astro Boy to English-speaking audiences. Tezuka’s original Astro Boy manga was serialized from 1952-1968, inspiring a groundbreaking 1963 TV series that is considered to be the first-ever serialized Japanese TV anime. Countless adaptations and collaborations have been produced since.

▼ Astro Boy, the robot boy whom we can thank for modern manga and anime

Costing 121,000 yen (US$760), the figure is crafted from 18-karat yellow gold and stands only 15 millimeters (0.59 inches) tall.

Nevertheless, it’s a faithful creation of the character, with Tezuka’s trademark large eyes and Astro Boy’s pointy, distinctive hairstyle.

The figure comes specially packaged in a black box inscribed with “Osamu Tezuka World” and “Testsuwan Atom” in gold, retro-style font.

Precisely because of its small size, it’s an elegant trinket that will upgrade any desk or shelf without taking up too much space.

While Astro Boy is undoubtedly the most recognizable of the new pieces, the two other characters in this release also hold a space place in Tezuka’s legacy. First, the 9-millimeter-tall Hyoutantsugi is a gourd-like character that was originally inspired by a doodle made by Tezuka’s younger sister. It became a visual gag that randomly appears in almost all of his works.

▼ Hyoutantsugi miniature gold figure (165,000 yen)

Second, the 12-millimeter-tall Buddha captures the likeness of Tezuka’s rendition of the life of Siddhartha Gautama in his 1972-1983 eponymously titled masterpiece.

▼ Buddha miniature gold figure (220,000 yen)

All three miniature figures are available for preorder between May 20 and June 22 on U-Treasure’s online shop and at U-Treasure Concept Stores Ikebukuro in Tokyo and Shinsaibashi in Osaka (location information here).

We’re looking forward to seeing what the next set of characters will be in U-Treasure’s The Osamu Teszuka World Gold Collection–and something tells us it definitely won’t be any of the erotic animal sketches that his daughter discovered locked in his desk drawer just over ten years ago.

Source, images: PR Times
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