Billyken Kid is 52 years old and steps into the ring in Osaka wearing a mask that has been with him his whole life. In October, he won a seat on the Kawanishi City Council in Hyogo Prefecture, and he didn’t take it off for a single day of his campaign.
Then came the question no one in that room had ever asked: could he keep wearing it during council sessions? On November 6, the majority of the council said yes.
Four of the five groups supported the idea, with a simple argument: voters elected him knowing he wore the mask.
He is only asked to have his identity verified before entering. It doesn’t break any rules, because there are no rules governing masks.
The group that opposed it, made up of members of the Liberal Democratic Party and others, raised a concern: he had already appeared in public with and without the mask, and they wanted to know whether he would wear it all the time.
After the vote, Billyken summed it up this way: “My dream came true”. He acknowledged that some people disagree and said he hopes to earn recognition through his work.
He’ll take it off at commemorations and formal ceremonies; on other visits, he’ll decide based on the wishes of whoever is welcoming him.
