The Kamen Rider Series (仮面ライダーシリーズ, Kamen Raidā Shirīzu?, translated as Masked Rider Series) is a metaseries of Japanese tokusatsu which generally features an insect-themed motorcycle-riding superhero who fights supervillains referred to as kaijin (怪人?). The franchise began in 1971 with a show titled Kamen Rider which followed college student Takeshi Hongo and his quest to defeat the world-conquering Shocker organization. Over the years, the popularity of the franchise has grown and the original series has spawned many television and theatrical sequels. The cultural impact of the series in Japan resulted in astronomer Akimasa Nakamura naming two minor planets in honor of the series: 12408 Fujioka, after actor Hiroshi Fujioka, known for his portrayal of Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1, and 12796 Kamenrider, after the series, itself.
