Astro Boy has lift-off

Astro Boy has lift-off

Mothers dressed their children in Astro Boy costumes

Fans of a popular Japanese 1960s cartoon character have celebrated his TV comeback with a costume parade in Tokyo.

Astro Boy was Japan's first animated television series in the early 1960s.

The cartoon remained popular in Japan until the 1970s and later became a hit in the US.

Around 270 people joined the parade for Astro Boy's "first birthday", which the writers set at the then far-in-the-future date of 7 April 2003.

Young and old joined in the fun, including babies wearing costumes made by their mothers.

One child carried a fake birthday cake and another dressed up as the cartoon's creator, the famous manga artist Tezuka, with his trademark beret.

A jewellery-studded doll of Astro Boy specially made for his birthday

"I've liked Astro Boy since I was a kid," said housewife Kaeko Onishi, 38, who dressed up as the character Ochanomizu with a balloon nose and a white cotton wig.

The celebrations took place in the Takadanobaba district of the city, where the story says Astro Boy was born in a laboratory.

"We want more people to know that Astro Boy was born in Takadanobaba," said parade organiser Mikio Iida.

Japan's Fuji Television are currently showing a series of 50 new episodes that have been updated for a modern audience.