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Waseda University and Tezuka Productions have teamed up to create new souvenir products featuring WASEDA BEAR together with Astro Boy, one of the most all-time beloved Japanese animation characters in Japan.

The collaboration started with the idea of lining up two symbolic characters of the Waseda area community to strengthen regional partnership. The year 2020 also celebrates the 20th birthday of WASEDA BEAR.

Astro Boy was originally a science fiction manga series written by Osamu Tezuka, who is often regarded as the Father of Manga. According to the plot, Astro Boy was created at the Ministry of Science, fictitiously located in Takadanobaba. At JR Takadanobaba Station, Astro Boy’s animation theme music is played at every train departure, and right outside the station, there are two giant murals featuring characters from Osamu Tezuka’s manga and animation series, including Astro Boy (and even Okuma Auditorium and the Shigenobu Okuma statue).

The giant murals outside JR Takadanobaba Station. Can you find Astro Boy? (Photo from @waseda_university Instagram account)

Additionally, new illustrations by Tezuka Osamu himself have been discovered because of this collaboration. One of them is an illustration of Astro Boy waving the Waseda University flag, and another one is of a statue of Professor Ochanomizu, who is one of the main characters in Astro Boy, dressed up as university founder Shigenobu Okuma. These illustrations were drawn in 1964, when the Tokyo Olympics were held.

© Tezuka Productions

The souvenir products will go on sale on April 1, 2020 at Uni. Shop & Café 125, Waseda University Co-op store, and online at WASEDA SHOP.

At the Uni. Shop & Café 125

At the Waseda University Co-op store