[/floatr]AFP: Japanese postman fights for moustache
Japanese lawyers are rallying behind a postman whose boss told him he had to shave off his moustache to comply with grooming standards for letter carriers. The bar association in the western city of Osaka said Wednesday that the order against 55-year-old postman Noboru Nakamura was "irrational" and violated his human rights. "Having a moustache is part of an individual lifestyle and should be an individual decision," said Kazuo Okawa, a lawyer for the bar association. Nakamura has kept a moustache since 1990. His conflict with his superiors started after Japan Post introduced new grooming regulations in 2004. "I have taken care to keep my moustache neat and I don't think I make my customers feel uncomfortable," Nakamura was quoted by the Asahi Shimbun as saying. "Some of my colleagues had to shave their faces against their will. I can't accept that," he said. Many Japanese consider moustaches and beards to be uncouth, but facial hair has recently seen a boom among fashion-conscious men. A Japan Post spokesman said he could not comment on the case.
