TOKYO -- Some politicians wear a new suit for their first day in public office. The Great Sasuke, a pro wrestler who was elected in April to an assembly seat in northeastern Japan, wore a new black-and-white head mask.

The mask featured bold swaths of scarlet and gold around the eyes and jaw, and a long fringe at the back of the head. The Great Sasuke, who wore such a mask in his campaign for a seat in the Iwate Prefectural Assembly, has no plans to reveal his face.

''Without a mask, there would be no Sasuke,'' the wrestler, whose legal name is Masanori Murakawa, told reporters Tuesday after attending his first assembly session. He was otherwise dressed conservatively in a dark suit. ''I have absolutely no intention of taking it off, no matter how much opposition there is.''

The howls of protest could be heard all the way to Tokyo, 290 miles to the south.

Japan's predominantly male politicians are typically attired in black suits, and their hair is closely cropped. Their dress is so nearly uniform that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi caused a stir when he was elected two years ago because of his stylish suits and his wavy mane.

Now comes a renowned veteran pro wrestler who ran for office under his ring name while wearing his trademark mask. He shuns his legal name, even in his native town of Iwate, where he is the founder and president of a wrestling organization.

The Great Sasuke, 33, has not retired from professional wrestling, which has a wide following in Japan, despite a career in which he has cracked his skull twice and has undergone major knee surgery. Standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds, the wrestler says he won his seat on the strength of his mask. ''To take it off would be breaking promises'' to his voters, he said.

The Great Sasuke has pledged to push education reform and to increase public interest in assembly meetings. He was the leading vote getter among 12 candidates for 10 open seats.

Iwate Prefecture is a conservative district. Local law requires assembly members to respect the assembly's integrity. It prohibits them from wearing hats, coats, and scarves to meetings, or from carrying canes and umbrellas inside the meeting hall. There is no prohibition against masks.[...]