TOKYO – Yoshiro Mori, the chairman of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee and former prime minister, could be forced to resign after making derogatory comments about women earlier this week.
It’s an added problem as organizers and the International Olympic Committee try to make the postponed Games a success amid the coronavirus pandemic. They open July 23.
The organizing committee said on Thursday it had no statement, but expected to have one later in the day.
Mori was reported by Asahi Shimbun daily as saying that women talk too much in meetings during an online meeting of the Japan Olympic Committee board of directors earlier this week. His comments have caused a storm in Japan, where women are grossly under-represented in politics and boardrooms.
In an interview with the Japanese newspaper Mainichi published Thursday, Mori, 83, apologized and suggested that he step down.
“I had no intention of despising women,” Mainichi told him. “I think I have to take responsibility, but if the call for my resignation grows, I may have to resign.”
He added, “It was careless of me, and I would like to apologize.”
Asahi reported saying in an online meeting on Tuesday, “Women are very competitive. If one of them raised her hand, they probably think they should say something too. And then everyone says something.”
His remark came when he was asked about the presence of few women on the board of the Japan Olympic Committee.
“If we’re going to have more female directors, someone has commented, then the meetings will go on for a long time unless we limit the comments. I’m not saying who that is,” he said.
The Tokyo Olympics he is leading have already been overrun with problems.
About 80% of Japanese in polls say the Games should be postponed or canceled in the midst of the pandemic. They have also spoken out on rising costs that could total more than $ 25 billion for these Olympics.