Soccer fans going to Iran told to behave

Yomiuri - The Foreign Ministry is advising people going to Tehran to watch Japan play Iran in the Asia group's final qualifying match for the soccer World Cup finals on March 25 to dress conservatively.

The Web site of the Japanese Embassy in Iran tells supporters they should respect dress norms in Iran, where a majority of the population is Shiite Muslim.

According to the ministry, foreigners are rarely obligated to follow Islamic precepts in most Muslim nations, but Iran is an exception.

Foreigners in Iran are sometimes questioned by police when they wear revealing outfits.

Since women are supposed to cover their hair and not wear figure-hugging clothes, they wear scarves to cover their head and coats long enough to cover their knees, the ministry says.