Meet Mangetsu-man, Tokyo's real-life superhero.
Mangetsu-man, which translates as Mr Full Moon, is on a one-man crusade to clean up the streets of the Japanese capital. But his enemy is grime rather than crime. And in a city voted as having the cleanest streets in the world, he needs all the super powers he can muster to make things cleaner than they already are.
[UNIK] Mangetsu Man,sosok superhero yg menjaga kebersihan Tokyo. Ia membekali diri dg senjata sapu & cikrak #MSOW pic.twitter.com/xSKpl5Swnw
— CDBS 94.5FM BALI (@CDBSFMBALI) August 29, 2014
Armed with a broom and dustpan, Mangetsu-man has been patroling the streets of Tokyo since last year in a tireless search for rubbish. But his mission is much larger than just picking up cigarette butts. Mangetsu-man hopes that by cleaning the streets he can also "clean up all the negativity in the world." Quite a goal.
Mangetsu-man: Un ejemplar super héroe http://t.co/h8amGPn9ia • #japón #curiosidades pic.twitter.com/TtxNyj9MGb
— SugoiTime (@sugoitime) August 29, 2014
Like any self-respecting superhero, Mangetsu-man goes to great lengths to keep his true identity secret. He even uses a voice dictation app to conceal his voice.
Dressed in a yellow “full moon” head, purple bodysuit, and what appear to be oversized grey UGG boots with matching gloves, Mangetsu-man has attracted lots of attention, which is saying something in a city like Tokyo, where dressing up in outlandish costumes is common.
みんな おはよう！満月マンは今朝５ｃｈの羽鳥さん司会のモーニングバードという番組で８時４５分～９時の間に５分間くらい出るみたいなので見てね。どんな風にまとめてくれるのかドキドキ(*_*) pic.twitter.com/53kwkNxuuO
— 満月マン＠まじキャラ (@mangetsu_man) August 18, 2014
Tonight, we honor Mangetsu-Man for it is the night of the full moon. We LOVE U, Mangetsu-Man pic.twitter.com/zg3vWsuejP
— KumaDog88 (@YamatoSpiritJP) April 15, 2014
His good deeds have inspired a small army of volunteers.
"While most superheroes fight crime, for Mangetsu-man the enemy is garbage..." http://t.co/1fTmwqUcfo pic.twitter.com/WOFJ0g2OD5
— Rose Sponseller (@avocadobravado) September 2, 2014
And cleaning products.
からの 鶏皮餃子。 → 朝から出ました。 pic.twitter.com/u0OkoVj8aA
— 満月マン＠まじキャラ (@mangetsu_man) August 28, 2014
That's chicken next to an airfreshner, if you are wondering. Don't ask questions. So far Mangetsu-man has concentrated most of his cleaning powers on the iconic Nihonbashi bridge, which was Japan’s most famous bridge until an ugly expressway was built over it just before the 1964 Olympic Games.
Now he and other locals are petitioning the government to remove the expressway and restore the bridge’s iconic status before Tokyo hosts the 2020 Olympic Games.
@mangetsu_man 長時間お掃除していた満月マンさんに、頭が下がります。チロルチョコもありがとうございました(*´▽`*) pic.twitter.com/SJDoAGZsyM
— つみん (@tsuminnn) March 23, 2014
This will be Mangetsu-man's biggest challenge yet, and it could be his greatest triumph.
