superman’s Fortress of Solitude, with its soaring walls of sheer impregnable ice, is often depicted as being in ‘a polar waste’ - either the Arctic or Antarctic. Much too far away even for the most dedicated of fans. However, if ever there was a closer location that could provide the same backdrop, it would be Ashigakubo in the Chichibu district of Saitama Prefecture, where a quiet valley has been transformed into a natural icy hideaway befitting the Man of Steel. The Seibu Ikebukuro Line’s ‘Red Arrow’ - faster than a speeding bullet - will get you there in ninety minutes from Ikebukuro station.