Have you seen a man wearing a tiger mask and an elaborated outfit adorned with stuffed toys, pink feathers and fake flowers around the streets of Shinjuku? This famous and certainly attention-grabbing local personality, nicknamed the ‘Shinjuku Tiger’, has become something of a symbol in the neighbourhood. To the uninitiated, Shinjuku Tiger is a 69 year-old newspaper delivery man, who first donned his signature mask and outfit back in 1972 when he was just 24 years old.
A new eponymous documentary on the man is set to be released on Friday March 22. It explores not only the life of the man determined to be Shinjuku Tiger until he dies but also the beauty of Shinjuku from his eyes.
The film takes an all-encompassing look at the man, his tiger persona and territory through celebrity narrators and interviews with local businesses as well as those who know him at his newspaper sales office and Golden Gai.
‘Shinjuku Tiger’ will premiere at Theatre Shinjuku on Friday March 22, followed by a nationwide release. For more details, check the official site of the documentary (in Japanese).