TOKYO – Yoshiro Mori’s long saga seems to be nearing completion.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency and others reported on Thursday – citing unnamed sources – that Mori will step down as chairman of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee on Friday.
The movement follows its sexist comments on women more than a week ago and a frequent and rare public debate in Japan on gender equality,
A decision is expected to be announced on Friday when the organizing committee’s executive committee meets. The Tokyo 2020 executive board is an overwhelming man, as is the day-to-day leadership.
At a meeting of the Japanese Olympic Committee more than a week ago, Mori, 83, said essentially that women “talk too much” and move with a “strong sense of rivalry.” Mori, a former prime minister, apologized a few days after his views were announced, but rejected the resignation.
This is more than just another problem for the Olympic postponements, which have made the risky choice of trying to open on July 23 amid a pandemic with 11,000 athletes and later 4,400 Paralympic athletes.
More than 80% of the Japanese public in recent polls said the Olympics should be postponed or canceled.
Mori’s statements have sparked outrage in many areas and highlighted the extent to which Japan lags behind other countries in women’s progress in politics or boardrooms. Japan ranks 121st out of 153 in the World Economic Forum’s gender equality ranking.
Although some on the street have called for him to resign (several hundred Olympic volunteers said they were retiring), most decision-makers have done nothing and have simply condemned his statements.
The information from The Associated Press was used in this report.