Masked wrestler elected to Japan city council gets OK to wear mask in chamber

A professional wrestler elected to the Kawanishi Municipal Assembly in Hyogo Prefecture in October has been given the green light to wear his trademark mask during council sessions.

The city council held a meeting of parliamentary group representatives on Nov. 6 and approved the mask-wearing by a majority vote. Since the special assembly session on Nov. 9, Billyken Kid, 52, has been permitted to enter the chamber wearing the mask, following verification of his identity.

Billyken said that, outside the assembly, he would remove the mask when attending ceremonies such as memorial services. For activities such as administrative inspection visits, he would decide whether to wear the mask based on the wishes of the host organization.