TOKYO:Yoshiro Mori resigned Friday as the president of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee following sexist comments implying women talk too much.
“As of today I will resign from the president's position,” he said to open an executive board and council meeting. The board was expected to pick his successor later on Friday.
Mori was appointed in 2014, just months after Tokyo won the bid to host the Olympics.
"My inappropriate comments have caused a lot of chaos,”he said. He repeated several times he had regret over the remarks, but also said he had “no intention of neglecting women.”
Mori’s departure comes after more than a week of non-stop criticism about his remarks earlier this month. He initially apologised but refused to step away, which was followed by relentless pressure from television pundits, sponsors, and an on-line petition that drew 150,000 signatures.
But it's not clear that his resignation will clear the air and return the focus to exactly how Tokyo can hold the Olympics in just over five months in the midst of a pandemic.
The Olympics are to open on July 23, with 11,000 athletes and 4,400 more in the Paralympic a month later. About 80% in recent polls in Japan say they want the Olympics canceled or postponed with clear support about 15%.
Early reports said the 83-year-old Mori had picked 84-year-old Saburo Kawabuchi, the former president of the governing body of Japanese soccer and a former player himself. He played for Japan in the 1964 Olympics.
Kawabuchi is even older than Mori and will raise the issue of why a woman was not appointed. This is the center of the entire debate that Mori triggered over gender inequality in Japan and the absence of women in boardrooms, politics, and sports governance. Women are also largely absence in leadership roles at the organizing committee.
Kawabuchi indicated on Thursday he had been contacted by Mori and would accept the job if offered. But he said later he might not be the appropriate choice and seemed to be withdrawing.
Japanese media immediately pointed out there were three qualified women — all athletes and former Olympians and at least a generation younger — who could fill the job.
Kaori Yamaguchi won a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics in judo. Mikako Kotani won two bronze medals in the 1988 Olympics in synchronized swimming. And Naoko Takahashi was a gold medalist in the marathon in the 2000 Olympics.
Seiko Hashimoto, the current Olympic minister and a former Olympian, has also been mentioned as a candidate.
Mori’s remarks have put the spotlight on how far Japan lags behind other prosperous countries in advancing women in politics or the boardrooms. Japan stands 121st out of 153 in the World Economic Forum’s gender equality rankings.
Koichi Nakano, a political scientist at Sophia University in Tokyo, characterized Japan as a country still run “by a club of old men.” But he said this could be a watershed.
“Social norms are changing,”he wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “A clear majority of the Japanese found Mori’s comments unacceptable, so the problem is more to do with the lack of representation of women in leadership positions. This sorry episode may have the effect of strengthening the call for greater gender equality and diversity in the halls of power.”
Though some on the street called for Mori to resign — several hundred Olympic volunteers say they are withdrawing — most decision makers including Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga stopped short of this and simply condemned his remarks.
A comment a few days ago from Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda seemed to move the needle.
Toyota is one of 14 so-called Olympic TOP sponsors that pay about $1 billion every four-year cycle to the International Olympic Committee. The company seldom speaks out on politics, and Toyota did not call for Mori's resignation. But just speaking on the matter might have been enough.
"The (Mori) comment is different from our values, and we find it regrettable.” Toyoda said.
Toyota and Coca-Cola also are major sponsors of the torch relay.
AP Newsroom
Fri Feb 12 2021
Mori resigned Friday, Feb. 12, 2021 as the president of the Tokyo Olympic organising committee following sexist comments implying women talk too much. - AP Photo
Jokowi ke Abu Dhabi untuk perbincangan dengan Presiden UAE mengenai kerjasama
Presiden Jokowi dijadual bertemu rakan sejawatannya dari UAE pada 17 Julai.
Tiga jurusolek lelaki berperwatakan wanita didakwa rompak rakan
Kesemua mereka dakwa mengikut Seksyen 395 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara maksimum 20 tahun dan boleh dikenakan denda dan sebat, jika sabit kesalahan.
Agong berkenan berangkat ke pra-Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja ke-266
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim berkenan berangkat ke pra-Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja (MRR) ke-266 di Istana Negarahari ini.
Status ADUN Rembia: DUN Melaka tunggu surat rasmi
Speaker DUN Melaka, Datuk Ibrahim Durum berkata, setakat ini pihaknya belum dimaklumkan secara rasmi dan perbincangan berhubung perkara itu akan diadakan.
Warga emas bersalah bunuh abang, kakak ipar
Mahkamah Tinggi di sini hari ini mensabitkan kesalahan seorang warga emas atas dua pertuduhan pindaan membunuh abang dan kakak iparnya dua tahun lalu.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp kemuka laporan tindakan susulan
Mas Ermieyati Samsudin berkata tempoh itu diberikan susulan laporan audit berkaitan, baru dibentangkan pada minggu lepas.
Buli siber: Beberapa kementerian bincang perketat undang-undang - Fahmi
Penambahbaikan aspek perundangan akan diteliti kerajaan, termasuk mengadakan perbincangan dengan beberapa kementerian berkaitan dalam masa terdekat.
Kementerian Digital sedia bantu PKS dalam pelaksanaan e-invois - Gobind
Beliau menegaskan bahawa pelaksanaan e-Invois itu akan memberi manfaat, termasuk meningkatkan pendapatan PKS.
Kim Pan-gon akan ke Ulsan Hyundai?
Bekas pengendali skuad negara itu dilaporkan sedang menjadi calon utama untuk mengisi jawatan pengurus kelab gergasi Korea Selatan, Ulsan Hyundai.
Lebih 2,300 hektar kawasan lapang di ibu negara diperuntukkan kawasan hijau
Daripada keluasan itu, sebanyak 977.55 hektar tanah telah diwartakan, manakala 1,416.24 hektar tanah lapang yang berpotensi akan dan sedang dalam proses diwartakan.
Dream of maiden Olympic gold put on hold
When one looks back on this year, it is inevitable that the main topic of discussion will be the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ini 5 fakta menarik temasya Olimpik Tokyo 2020
Pun begitu, sepanjang sesi persiapan, warga dunia telah dapat melihat proses persediaan yang dilakukan oleh Jepun sebagai tarikan dan untuk menaikkan momentum sebelum acara perasmiannya.
Malaysia akan terajui industri halal dunia - Mohd Redzuan
Malaysia akan menerajui bidang halal yang bakal melihat pengiktirafan tanpa sempadan dalam isu berkenaan di semua negara Islam seluruh dunia.
Amerika jangan main-main, jari saya sentiasa dekat dengan butang nuklear - Kim Jong Un
Pemimpin Korea Utara Kim Jong Un tegaskan Amerika Syarikat tidak akan berani lancarkan peluru berpandu ke Pyongyang.
Yuna, Lenny Kravitz persembah lagu promosi Sukan Olimpik 2016
Penyanyi tempatan yang kini menetap di Amerika Syarikat, Yuna merupakan antara salah seorang daripada lima penyanyi yang dipilih untuk mempersembahkan lagu promosi Sukan Olimpik 2016.