'Chibatman' sends smiles, not fear, rippling through Japan

A 41-year-old man going by the name of Chibatman poses in his room before going on the road on his "Chibatpod" in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Aug 31, 2014. A man who dresses up like the Dark Knight and zips around Chiba sprawled on a three-wheeled mot
A 41-year-old man going by the name of Chibatman poses in his room before going on the road on his "Chibatpod" in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Aug 31, 2014. A man who dresses up like the Dark Knight and zips around Chiba sprawled on a three-wheeled motorcycle is setting this eastern Japanese prefecture abuzz just as Batman electrified Gotham City. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A woman carrying a crying child poses for pictures next to a 41-year-old man going by the name of Chibatman sitting on his "Chibatpod" in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Aug 31, 2014. A man who dresses up like the Dark Knight and zips around Chiba sprawled on a three-wheeled motorcycle is setting this eastern Japanese prefecture abuzz just as Batman electrified Gotham City. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
People take pictures of a 41-year-old man going by the name of Chibatman sitting on his "Chibatpod" in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Aug 31, 2014. A man who dresses up like the Dark Knight and zips around Chiba sprawled on a three-wheeled motorcycle is setting this eastern Japanese prefecture abuzz just as Batman electrified Gotham City. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A 41-year-old man going by the name of Chibatman rides his "Chibatpod" on the road in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Aug 31, 2014. A man who dresses up like the Dark Knight and zips around Chiba sprawled on a three-wheeled motorcycle is setting this eastern Japanese prefecture abuzz just as Batman electrified Gotham City. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A 41-year-old man going by the name of Chibatman rides his "Chibatpod" on the road in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Aug 31, 2014. A man who dresses up like the Dark Knight and zips around Chiba sprawled on a three-wheeled motorcycle is setting this eastern Japanese prefecture abuzz just as Batman electrified Gotham City. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

CHIBA, Japan - A man who dresses up like the Dark Knight and zips around Chiba sprawled on a three-wheeled motorcycle is setting this eastern Japanese prefecture abuzz just as Batman electrified Gotham City.

Meet Chibatman, a mysterious 41-year-old man who dons the getup of the comic book superhero - down to the multiple-packed abs and pointy-eared mask. The man, who has not been named, apparently came up with his moniker after adding a prefix of the first three letters of Chiba, Reuters reported.

However, unlike the hero from the Batman series, he rides around in his machine, designed from inspiration of the "Batpod" from the movies The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, delivering smiles instead of fighting crime.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the wannabe Dark Knight is often spotted at weekends in the region, with initial reports of sightings dating back about three years, according to some tweets in Japanese cyberspace. The superhero impersonator has also been spotted in Tokyo's Akihabara district.

Videos of him zooming down the highway or, like mere mortals, stuck in a traffic jam, have been making the rounds on the Web to much amusement.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.