New robot anime stamps on sale

Japan Post today released its latest edition of stamps featuring robots from popular anime series.

The stamps show characters and robots from manga and anime series Patlabor, which deals with a Tokyo police division that uses huge mecha robots for law enforcement. The mecha feature the designs of Yutaka Izubuchi, who also did the exterior design for the HRP robot series being developed by the government.

JP is issuing 15 million Patlabor stamps in denominations of 80 yen that come in 10-stamp sheets.

The issue is part of JP's Anime Heroes and Heroines series that began five years ago with stamps honoring perennial robot icon Astro Boy.

Others include Gundam, Doraemon and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Karakuri clockwork dolls, the ancestors of modern Japanese robots, have also been celebrated with Japanese stamps.

Check out the Japan Post anime series page here (in Japanese).