If you thought Batman was an exclusive resident to the city of Gotham, then you were wrong. Chiba, Japan, is home to the real-life Chibatman; part-time welder, part-time superhero.
The Chibatman pops up around the city, making surprise appearances in an authentic-looking Nolan-era Batsuit and scooting down motorways on his “Batpod” – actually a customised three-wheeler.
An internet sensation for his high speed freeway drive-bys, The Wall Street Journal reports that the first mention of Chibatman on Twitter was three years ago, after he emerged from the cover of darkness to bringing happiness to a city devoid of smiles following the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster.
“I started doing this around three years ago,” Chibatman recently told BBC News, via a translator hilariously mimicking Christian Bale’s Batman’s raspy tone (below). “As for my reasons, after the great earthquake people forgot how to smile.”
“I wanted to help bring the smile back and that’s why I started.”
Chibatman’s presence led to the city’s police force dusting off a sort of Bat-signal.
Summoned to police HQ, Chibatman’s cover was reportedly blown when a receptionist instantly recognised him. “I was led into what, based on how it looked, you could only describe as an interrogation room,” Chibatman said of the event. “Waiting there was a detective in a suit and a representative from the Land Transport Bureau.”
Thankfully, this was no The Dark Knight-style bait-and-switch. Instead, he quickly discovered he was a favourite of government authorities, who simply wanted to ensure Chibatman’s Batpod wasn’t violating any vehicle width regulations.
“You haven’t done anything wrong… You’re going to keep doing this, right?” they reportedly told the would-be superhero. “If you ever have any questions, feel free to contact us any time.”
Chibatman says the Batpod took him “around four months to build” but “if you put your back into it though, it’s something that can be done.”
Much like his DC Comics counterpart, Chibatman disappears into the shadows as quickly as he emerges, but always leaves a lasting imprint on the Chiba City locals he encounters.
“He is a bit unusual, but definitely very topical right now so I think it’s great,” a Chiba native told Reuters.
