Horsepower Currency?

"A new currency to commemorate popular Japanese animated character Astro Boy is set to be distributed in the Takadanobaba area of Tokyo's Shinjuku-ku on Wednesday.

The currency, which comes in 10, 100, and 200 "horsepower" notes, will be distributed by a planning committee consisting of local store and nongovernmental organization members, as well as local Waseda University students.

The notes were designed with the intention of supporting activities contributing to the local community. They will be able to be used for a limited time at local participating stores, with respective values of 10, 100, and 200 yen.

Planning committee officials will supply the notes to volunteer organizations and they will be valid for purchases at about 100 stores from Astro Boy's birthday on April 7, to Sept. 20.

The cost of issuing the notes will be covered by donations from businesses.

Astro Boy, a creation of the late cartoonist Osamu Tezuka, was given the birthplace of the "Science Ministry" in Takadanoba. In Tezuka's original "Astro Boy" comic, the robot with 100,000 horsepower strength was created on April 7, 2003. (Compiled from Mainichi and wire reports, Japan, April 6, 2004)"