Japan opposition chief sorry for remarks seen as 'misogynistic'

I think it's very difficult to understand for them."

And there you have it. Comments like these are why women don't support to your party

Ignore the so called misogynistic statement. Here's a rhetorical question for you: The real story should be who is behind this obvious hit job and why?

I don't trust Tamaki, he has a couple of times tried to blame foreigners for not paying taxes and getting free health care, when it is not true. He also had an affair and only had to step back for three months, might be a reason women don't like his party. But a female candidate who also was accused of having an affair was dropped by the CDPJ because her indiscretions were seen as causing trouble for the party!

So you think his comment is not significant, and that reporting exactly what he said is a "hit job"? Hmmm. Why make excuses for this guy?

When the LDP (often) makes a dumb comment, it's also reported. Aso is the king of these kinds of comments.

Ignore the so called misogynistic statement. Here's a rhetorical for you: The real story should be who is behind this obvious hit job and why?

My goodness. How do people still think like this in the year 2025?

Man, he sure knows how to embarrass his wife and family.

No matter how fluent he is in English, as the leader of a political party, he should have spoken through an interpreter to avoid being misunderstood. It’s less than a month to go until the upper house election.

The real story should be who is behind this obvious hit job and why?

How is reporting someone’s comments a ‘hit job’?

My goodness. How do people still think like this in the year 2025?

oh, that doesn't surprise me. What does is that he's a graduate of Harvard.

If women aren’t supporting your party, it’s not because they don’t understand—it’s because they do, and they’re politely declining the offer.

This is the country where you can still go to any major hardware store and find packaging on wallpaper/tile grout/caulk all proudly declaring “So easy, even a woman can do it!”.

"I think our policy is good not only for men but also women...but I think it's very difficult to understand for them."

Perhaps what he was trying to say is that the policy hasn’t been adequately explained? That’s sort of his job though. Either that or ‘how dare something be good for both men and women’ in an identity politics party mindset? The DPJ has always struck me as a well meaning, but predominantly grievance based party. Never a good sign, as we have seen the endgame and chaos that this game guarantees. Inevitably they will start turning on each other.

Doesn’t take much to get into hot water on that side of the fence. Tread very carefully Mr Tamaki. Think egg shells.

He has the same eyes as the rabbit in the poster behind him.

Japan may have modernized in the mid 1800s but there still exists a cultural bias that goes back to the days when women were not permitted to go to school. But in 2025 for a 56 year old educated overseas it's rather disgraceful.

I guess it is hard to accept that he himself is the main obstacle for his party.

Tamaki, who earned a master's degree from Harvard University, said in a post on X on Wednesday, "I regret that I used a poor expression. I am truly sorry," adding, "I had no intention of being misogynistic."

For someone that is supposedly a professional politician this careless mistake is very hard to understand, anybody can easily guess that saying someone "can't understand" something is going to be taken negatively. Easily prevented by changing the focus and saying something like "we failed explaining this properly".

Then again, this mistake may have happened because he really thinks poorly about women and is used to discussing with people that think the same so it felt natural to express himself like this.

So the real question is, did women understand his policy or not? That's the only thing that we didn't find out of this so-called journalism... Because you know, that takes actual effort, as for example interviewing female thought leaders, asking opposing arguments, etc.

But that's OK. We all know what is today's journalism about. Stirring the pot, pushing narratives, etc

Lots of Japanese mens are tone deaf , when it comes to women

virusrexToday 09:45 am JST

For someone that is supposedly a professional politician this careless mistake is very hard to understand, anybody can easily guess that saying someone "can't understand" something is going to be taken negatively. Easily prevented by changing the focus and saying something like "we failed explaining this properly".

TBF, it might just be a Japanism gone wrong. Sure, you can form a sentence like that in Japanese, such as "Setsumei ha Matsukatta"

but it is more common to phrase things in terms of "gaining understanding" (rikai wo eru) or "unable to gain understanding" (rikai wo erarenakatta).

Add some less than perfect English and it bit him in the buttocks.

To understand for women you have be a women. I have never try to understand women. It a waste of my time so I just agree and move on. How can that be classed as women hating or miso. When has empathy ever been an element in competing ?

Wait, I just let the others catch up and pass.

Winners are grinners and losers can place themselves.

TBF, it might just be a Japanism gone wrong

Not really, it is difficult to take his original comment without thinking it has something against women.

「女性にはうちの政策は難しくて理解できない」

Zero focus on the people trying to get understanding, full blame on women that "can't understand" things that are "difficult".

Add some less than perfect English and it bit him in the buttocks.

He is on the Japanese news because of his comment in Japanese, no involvement of English in any part of the scandal.

That's what a Harvard's degree get's you, NOTHING but a piece of paper.

Dumb to start with and a piece of paper will not make it better.

That's what a Harvard's degree get's you, NOTHING but a piece of paper.

I won't go that far, but if I sold all my assets and paid for one of my kids to go to Ivy League, it would be a huge sacrifice, I would expect them to come out as someone who could speak better and read a room of foreign journalists better than this. False sincerity is a very low bar for politicians to have to clear, but Tamaki has failed it here.

Not only misogyny.

He and his party insist also geronticide from last year, and now they are exploiting socially rampant xenophobia.

I honestly think what he meant was that women haven't realized yet how his party is beneficial for women too.

Sometimes wording can create the wrong impression, especially when it's not in your mother tongue.