We’ve seen him riding his bike around the streets of Shinjuku’s Kabukicho several times. We finally caught up with him when he stopped and was about to get something to eat. He had already taken off his mask and the other fancy items (stuffed toys, feathers, and fake flowers) that make up his unique appearance, but when we asked for a photo, he put them back on without complaining.
Tiger-san has been a fixture in the Shinjuku district for decades and has become a symbol of the city’s eccentricity and color. A former newspaper delivery man, he first began cultivating his unique style in 1972, at the age of 24.
In 2019, director Yoshinori Sato released the documentary Shinjuku Tiger (新宿タイガー), which captured the life and enduring charm of this colorful legend.
