Why 'Chibatman' is making news

Chinese Batman, is it?

No Japanese.

Yay! Batman in Manga.

That’s already there.

Oh? Really? What’s this then?

A man dressed up as Batman and riding around the Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo.

Who’s he?

No names; only he’s 41 years old and a welder by profession.

Is he taking on the Japanese Yakuza?

You thinking that there’s a crime thriller in the making?

That would be fun. Imagine the caped crusader fighting crime in real life...

Sorry, Chibatman has other things in mind.

Like what?

Bring back smiles on the faces of people.

Why are the Japanese glum?

He’s trying to cheer people, especially after the 2011 earthquake and the Fukushima disaster.

And he’s riding around on his fancy bike?

That’s the Chibatpod, a three-wheeled vehicle that he built.

Has he succeeded in his mission?

A bit. Videos of him riding around have gone viral. And of course people have clicked selfies with him.

Now for a chijoker!

Then we’ll have some real action.