The city of Chiba in Japan, has a new hero, but this is a hero with a difference - his mission is simply to make the people of the city happy.

For the past three years, Chibatman has been spotted flying through the streets of Chiba on his custom three-wheeled Chibatpod.

Like his strikingly similar-looking comic book counterpart Batman, the 41-year-old, who works as a welder during the day, keeps his identity closely-guarded. But like the famous hero, the reason he keeps putting on his cape is just as honourable.

Sophia Tran-Thomson reports.