“My older brother is a super hero,” my yoga teacher told me one afternoon when we were catching up after class. I was skeptical, but it turns out his elder brother is the warm-hearted Ibaraiger, a masked and suited champion of wholesome lifestyle choices in Ibaraki Prefecture.

In Japan, many cities and prefectures have “local heroes”, costumed champions that serve the public by encouraging people to take pride in their region, obey traffic laws and mind the environment. They’re cool, cute and ready for action, too, battling personified social and environmental villains.

At the event, superheroes and mascot characters from all over Japan meet in Chiba City for a two-day festival where you can see them perform in martial arts combat, tug of war completions, wrestling matches, and photo shoots. Bring your autograph book and camera to capture the action in this carnival of fun, quirky and sometimes weird characters.

The first day of the event, meet the heroes at Ario Soga shopping center, but day two is held at Festival Walk Soga and is ticketed.