First it was the Astro Boy theme song at the station to announce the arrivals and departures of trains, and now this:
Tokyo’s Takadanobaba district will start on Wednesday using “Astro Boy” currency, which features the image of the famous “anime” hero, as part of local revitalization efforts, community members said Tuesday. Shops, organizations and Waseda University will use the currency for community revitalization efforts, including volunteer and environmental activities, they said. Astro Boy’s strength was measured in horsepower and therefore 1 horsepower of the currency will be equivalent to 1 yen. The bills come in denominations of 10, 100 and 200 horsepower. (Kyodo News)