Tokyo Olympics Organizers to Discuss Sexist Remarks, Kyodo Says

(Bloomberg) -- The Tokyo Olympics organizing committee plans to hold an extraordinary meeting as soon as Friday to discuss the uproar over disparaging comments about women made by its chief, Kyodo News reported Tuesday.

Yoshiro Mori, an 83-year-old former prime minister with a history of gaffes, came under fire last week for telling reporters that women talk too much in board meetings. He later apologized and retracted his remarks, but said he wouldn’t resign. About 60% of respondents to a survey carried out by the Mainichi newspaper over the weekend said Mori was not an appropriate person to head the organizing committee.

Tokyo Olympics Chief Says Meetings With Women Take Too Long

Irritation over his remarks threatens to undermine already waning public support for the staging of the Olympics from July. Public broadcaster NHK said about 390 of the 80,000 volunteers recruited to help organize the event had dropped out after Mori made the comments.

Why the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Still Aren’t a Sure Thing: QuickTake

The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers and the Tokyo government are struggling to find a safe way of hosting the events, with Japan’s vaccination program yet to begin.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.