Torrance, CA, November 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 exceedingly pleased to unveil the first experiment from Yamato's latest line, the CREATORS' LABO... HAIBANE RENMEI - Rakka #1 PVC Statue.

CREATORS' LABO #003: HAIBANE RENMEI - Rakka #1 PVC Statue

From the CREATORS' LABO, Yamato reveals its latest masterwork: HAIBANE RENMEI - Rakka #1. Drawing upon Yoshitoshi ABe's (Serial Experiments Lain) illustration book, In the Town of Guri, In the Garden of Charcoal Feathers, sculptor Makoto Kobayashi wonderfully captures the world-view of mangaka ABe's legendary anime Haibane Renmei, a tale of a long-forgotten town where humans coexist with angelic creatures -- the Haibane. Rakka is the newest of the Haibane, awakening from a strange dream to an even stranger life leading to a wistful journey of self-discovery. Featuring a contemplative Rakka, Yamato's CREATORS' LABO: HAIBANE RENMEI - Rakka #1 blends ABe's soft delicate techniques with Kobayashi's amazing attention to detail to create a style all unto its own.

Yamato's CREATOR'S LABO #003: HAIBANE RENMEI - Rakka #1 is available from ABC Toys, Anime-zing Escape, Big Bad Toy Store, Entertainment Earth, Things from Another World, and AAA Anime. And be sure to look for Yamato's CREATORS' LABO #004: HAIBANE RENMEI - Rakka #2 and CREATORS' LABO #002: BURST ANGEL - Meg coming this December!

To learn more about these and other fine Yamato products, please visit us 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.