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The Superhero Donor, Tiger Mask

Tiger Mask in anime form.

(A better role model than Tiger Woods.)

For those who remembered late last year, many donations were made to various Japanese children-focused charities by someone under the guise of the professional wrestler anime/manga hero, Naoto Date, aka Tiger Mask. The donations would later spawn a huge movement of donations (some anonymous) from other people to Japanese charities as well. Just this past November, Tiger Mask struck again as an anonymous donor, using the Tiger Mask name, donated school bags and stationery sets to a city at the Gunma Prefecture in Japan. He also helped quake victims as well. The return of Tiger Mask poses some interesting thoughts about the nature of tigers, people, and anonymity.

Tigers are known to be solitary, yet social creatures. All they want to do is hunt and eat. They will not fight unless threatened. In Japan and other parts of Asia, tigers are represented as beings of great power, passion, beauty, and wrath. There is also a belief that when a tiger appears in your dreams, a great power and/or passion is about to awaken inside you.

An article in the Hiragana Times suggests that the Tiger Mask movement was moved by modesty. Once people saw that someone was donating anonymously, they had a lot of incentive to do the same. Japanese people are taught not to show off good deeds in front of the public. In some ways, tigers represent hidden strength waiting to be unlocked. Perhaps the movement motivated others to unleash their inner tigers.

Which goes back to the one who started it all. What motivated him to go under the name Tiger Mask specifically? Why last year? Was it because of the story of Tiger Mask? Did he want to bring some change for once? It is possible that this person believes the world is still just, despite what others might think. Maybe a tiger appeared in his dreams and convinced him to be philanthropic.

Tiger Mask helps out Japan.

A final issue is to look at anonymity and its pros. While most people look at anonymity with a certain level of disdain, there are some benefits to being anonymous. One is that you won’t be bothered by companies that constantly try to promote products/services to you. You will also be protected from any unjust backlash from others. Most importantly, you get privacy which is something that everyone needs from time-to-time. I do believe that our Tiger Mask donor wants to highlight the power and potential that anonymous people can have on society.

Tigers are truly great creatures that many of us love. I think it’s perhaps that we are like them: fierce on the outside, loving on the inside. In this rough world we’re living in, some of us just got to put on that tiger face and keep on going (which I believe that Tiger Mask is trying to convince children to do).

Let the eye of the tiger show you the way!

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Tagged: Japanese culture Kodansha Publishing Naoto Date Tiger Mask Toei Animation animal psychology cultural psycholgy symbolism of tigers motivational psychology psychology of anonymity