The Oita City Assembly held a meeting of party heads on Mar. 6 to discuss the fate of newly elected masked wrestler Skull Reaper A-ji—or more precisely, his mask. The group decided that A-ji could not wear his mask in the assembly chambers or adjoining committee rooms because it would “offend the decency of the Assembly”. A-ji told a group of reporters, “My mask is my uniform. I even wear it to weddings, so I will not remove it,” suggesting he would keep his mask on at the March meeting of the Assembly.
The Skull Reaper, who attended the meeting as a witness, said he won the support of voters while wearing his mask, so he should be allowed to continue wearing it. To quell concerns about potential imposters, he agreed to briefly remove the mask to confirm his identity. Of the six parties represented, only the Communist Party approved of A-ji wearing the mask as “freedom of expression”. The others opposed him based on an ordinance that prohibits “hats, capes and the like” in the chambers. All parties agreed he could use his ring name since that is the name he was voted into office with. In the past, other masked wrestlers-turned-assemblymen in Iwate City and Izumi City (Osaka) were granted permission to wear their masks. Nishinippon Shimbun, Mar. 7
