Torrance, CA, March 13, 2006 � On the leading edge of Japanese pop culture, Yamato USA, the North American division of the Yamato Toy Group with headquarters in the otaku capital of the world - the Akihabara district of Tokyo, Japan, is pleased to introduce Yamato's latest line of collectible figures: the Japanese Sculptor Original Character Series. Yamato's Japanese Sculptor Original Character Series (JSCOS) pays tribute to the leading sculptors of Japan and their most stunning original creations. First in the series is Kouichi Yamazaki (TANDEM TWIN)'s Animal Girls � LYNX (RUBY), a dangerously cute kitty-cat with a secret weapon that is sure to surprise collectors.

JSOCS: TANDEM TWIN Animal Girls � LYNX (RUBY) PVC Statue
Yamato is exceeding pleased to bring the works of renowned Japanese sculptor Kouichi Yamazaki (TANDEM TWIN) to the international audience as part of its new Japanese Sculptor Original Character Series. Featured here from TANDEM TWIN's Animal Girls series is a 1/6 scale PVC statue of his Wild Cat (RUBY), all geared up and ready for action. There's more to this dangerously cute kitty-cat than meets the eye, though, with a secret weapon for a whole different kind of sword play.

Yamato USA and its distribution partners are now excepting retailer pre-orders for this special piece through March 13 with additional offering in Diamond's May Previews. For more information on this and other great collectibles, please visit Yamato USA's website at www.YamatoToysUSA.com.

ABOUT YAMATO USA
Yamato USA is the wholly owned subsidiary of Yamato Co., Ltd with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. For over six years, Yamato USA has proudly served the North and South American hobby/collector markets with a wide offering of miniature collectible figures, PVC and die-cast action figures, as well as poly-resin and PVC statues inspired by the hottest titles in Japanese anime, manga, and video game properties. Featured properties include Masamune Shirow's Koukaku-Kidoutai (a.k.a. Ghost in the Shell), Appleseed, and Intron Depot; Yasuhiro Nightow's Trigun, Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin (aka Samurai X), Kentaro Miura's Berserk, and Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira.