Batman — a real-life Batman — has been spotted on the freeways of Japan cruising through traffic on his Batcycle — and if you don’t believe that’s possible, check out this cell phone video taken in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture, a video that went viral over the past week, already nearing the million-view mark.
Because this Batman has been seen only in Chiba , he’s been creatively dubbed “Chibatman,” and in fact, sightings of this superhero date back three years. But this latest video appears to be the best view so far of the locally famous — and now world famous — Batman impersonator.
Of course, whoever this guy is, he is actually just an extremely committed cosplayer. Which make sense because the very word “cosplay” was invented by the Japanese and though the idea of grown-ups playing dress-up as superhero and fantasy characters is not original to Japan, it certainly was popularized there.
Like Batman himself, the true identity of this Caped Crusader remains a mystery — perhaps because he’s afraid of being hit with a cease-and-desist order by DC Comics. But there’s no mystery about the man’s dedication to Batman cosplay. Check out the meticulous costume, no to mention the motorized trike.
But unlike his comic book and big screen counterpart, the Chiba Batman doesn’t fight crime and he even obeys traffic laws. He’s been seen dutifully stopped in traffic, when surely the “real” Batman would just drive over the tops of the cars in front of him and speed away.
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— s.tao (@slotpro007) August 25, 2014
But no. All this Batman does is ride around with his cape blowing in the breeze.
