‘Batman’ Officially Declares First Real-World City Outside Of Gotham

Outside of comic books, theaters, and television screens, Batman can call Fukuyama City in Hiroshima Prefecture his home. To mark the 400th anniversary since the famous Fukuyama Castle was completed, the local government and Warner Brothers have officiated it as Gotham’s sister city.

The broody superhero’s calling to this real-world city comes from, obviously, the Bat-Signal—and Fukuyama has its own. In 1917, the city designed a bat/mountain-shaped emblem signifying Fukuyama Castle’s location in komori yama (bat mountain).

Image via Hiroshima Prefecture

Half of the kanji for bat also sounds like the word for good fortune.

Notably, the beautiful coincidence celebrates the Japanese release of The Batman film on March 11 this year. A 400th birthday and a movie? Officials would be hard-pressed not to wing it with a venture.

According to SoraNews24, this milestone makes Fukuyama the first city in the world, and in history, to formally establish a real-world connection with Gotham City.

The ties were officiated during a signing ceremony on February 21 between the city’s mayor Naoki Edahiro and Warner Brothers Japan’s vice president Tomohiro Doai, who signed their papers virtually from their respective offices in Fukuyama City Hall and the Warner Brothers Japan headquarters due to restrictions from the pandemic.

[via Grape and SoraNews24, images via Hiroshima Prefecture]