Billyken Kid elected to Kawanishi assembly and cleared to wear wrestling mask in meetings

Billyken Kid, a 52-year-old Japanese professional wrestler, won a seat in the Kawanishi Municipal Assembly in Hyogo Prefecture in October 2026 and has been granted permission to wear his wrestling mask at official council meetings following a decision by assembly groups on November 6, 2026.

Billyken Kid is associated with Osaka Pro Wrestling and is a record five-time Osaka Pro Wrestling Championship holder; he campaigned throughout the election wearing his trademark mask and finished first among 37 candidates with 4,040 votes in October 2026. After his victory he requested to retain his signature appearance during council proceedings.

Representatives from the assembly’s five parliamentary groups discussed the request at a meeting on November 6, when four groups voted to allow him to wear the mask inside the chamber on the condition that his identity be verified by authorities before entry. Opposition to the proposal came from the group of Liberal Democratic Party assembly members and others, who argued that a council member must behave consistently in the role and noted Billyken has appeared both with and without the mask.

Billyken Kid addressed the differing views after the decision. He said: "My dream has come true. There are opposing views, but I hope to earn recognition through my actions as a council member going forward." He also explained that wearing the mask helped him feel more focused and concentrate on his responsibilities.

He told officials he would not wear the mask in every situation, and said he would remove it for memorial services and when taking into account the wishes of a host company during administrative inspections. While there is no rule explicitly forbidding elected individuals from wearing masks, the request prompted discussion about how a public servant should be perceived.

The case recalls Masanori Murakawa, also known as The Great Sasuke, who was elected to the Iwate Prefectural Assembly in 2003 and continued to wear a mask during his term as a wrestler.

The assembly’s approval on November 6 allows Billyken Kid to wear his signature mask at official sessions provided his identity is verified before entering the chamber, and he attended his first regular council session wearing the mask on November 9, 2026.