Meet 'Chibatman', Japan's Real-Life Batman

In Japan, there exists a real-life Dark Knight. Chibatman, as they call him, can usually be spotted flying through the streets in Chiba Prefecture just next to Tokyo on his three-wheeled self-customized vehicle Chibatpod.

But unlike the fictional hero, Chibatman’s mission is to bring smile to people’s faces instead of fighting crime. A 41-year old welder with a closely guarded identity, whose real name only a few know, has been doing so for the past three years.

“I started doing this around three years ago,” he says in a BBC News interview (which you can watch below). “As for my reasons, during the great earthquake [referring to the 3/11 earthquake and the Fukushima disaster], people forgot how to smile. I wanted to help bring the smile back, and that’s why I started.”

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When you dress up like this and drive around in a Batcycle, sooner or later you will attract attention of local authorities. According to this article, the caped crusader has once been called in by police, only to receive their official approval. They made sure his vehicle conforms to proper width regulations and that his cape is properly attached so it won’t go flying off into someone’s windshield. They even encouraged him to keep doing what he’s doing, adding that he hasn’t done anything wrong and to call them if he has any questions.

So, next time you’re in a car, check who’s behind you!