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© Thomson Reuters 2021.Mori apologizes for sexist remarks, but refuses to resign
By Sakura Murakami TOKYO©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
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© Thomson Reuters 2021.
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tamanegi
The bigger issue it seems on J-TV wide/news shows this afternoon is not the comments he made but the realization and shame that people overseas via their media know what was said.
Hervé L'Eisa
"I'm sorry I expressed my honest opinion..."
;)
GenHXZ
This is Japan inc normailty - And the world might begin to see through the Anime cutesy tinted glasses and sctually see the oyagi dinasoars that have been holding Japan back for decades.
Luddite
Shameful behaviour. A non apology apology.
Monty
we have to make sure their speaking time is restricted somewhat, or they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying,
LOL...this must be implemented at many companies as a rule for meetings.
But not for the women...FOR THE MEN!
That would make meetings much much shorter. LOL.
Sorry but I can not take this topic serious.
Fuzzy
What do you expect from this guy... he's a dinosaur! Instead of expecting these oyaji's to change their spots, why not instead consider electing representatives born in the past half-century.
Yubaru
He is just saying what all the other LDP and Japan Inc oyaji's are thinking, and only saying when they are in the company of each other!
itsonlyrocknroll
Yes it is a non apology.
How Yoshiro Mori want to stay in the limelight, the media focused on Mori san legacy of delivering the 2020/21/22,Games against all odds, in the face of a Pandemic.
So let me offer you possible alterative scenario that had Yoshiro Mori, huffing and puffing.
One or all of the seven women had the audacity to question the policy to continue with a sports festival, with costs spiraling out of control, in the middle of a pandemic, without a clear policy on a viable or sustainable vaccination program?
kurisupisu
Just glad that I am not Japanese or I’d be embarrassed shirtless!
HBJ
In my opinion he was talking for far too long.
itsonlyrocknroll
Have some honor and dignity step down.
Do the hustle
Oh, good grief! He is 83 years old. He’s way to old to have such an important position. He’s obviously got a few screws loose.
Yotomaya
I'm pretty sure he has no clue why anyone found his remarks offensive. Anyway, him resigning would change nothing. Remember Sakurada's one-liners a few years ago? It took insulting Tohoku earthquake survivors for him to step down.
Ricky Sanchez
I WOULD LOVE to see all Japanese female athletes refuse to participate in the Olympics ( If they are held) in protest of this monster.
Penfold
It just keeps getting better and better :)
Bob Fosse
Aaah! The Olympic spirit!
They’ll have to update the playbook.
kohakuebisu
Ordinary Japanese women should come out and say they are boycotting the sponsors. There's a list of them here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_Olympics_marketing
I can't see this happening, there is far too much apathy, but would love women here to prove me wrong. Not buying a certain brand of soft drink, beer, instant food, or aspirins requires very little effort.
kohakuebisu
fwiw, Noam Chomsky is 92 but no bumbling old fool. This is much more about entrenched elites than age. It is wishful thinking to assume 70 year old or 60 year old LDP elites are automatically going to be any more enlightened on this or any other topic.
Cricky
It was so embarrassing watching him mumble his explanation on TV. The man has no pride no leadership, a meeting with him must be an experience in mental tourture. Who the hell thought he could organise an international event. Thankfully the Olympics are off don't think Japan LDP could handal questions from an independent international media.Next Abe in his Mario suit to save the day. Without his wife she talks too much.
OssanAmerica
No it's not. This is beyond normality. Mori was a complete useless idiot back when he was PM with his Clinton gaff and Ehime Maru incident while on the golf course. He is about the worst J-politician in terms of interacting with an international audience. He ended up involved in the Tokyo Olympics because nobody had the guts to tell him he's not fit for the job. Of course, that's hardly unique to Japan.
gakinotsukai
He's just an image of what Japan still is regarding to sexism.
This easy way is to only blame this individual behavior and not taking real actions toward the whole society.
There will be new cases in the future, for sure, treated as independant deviant actions ... sadly ...
Fuzzy
If he won't resign, he needs to be fired. Only way for Japan to save face. This is all over international media.
Mickelicious
He's far too young to resign.
Thomas Tank
Did anyone expect him to actually resign???
jojobird
The famous DOUBLE-DOWN!
smh
Harry_Gatto
The Japanese kakistocracy soldiers on and on.
nakanoguy01
Come on. Like some of you actually DON'T agree with what he said. I mean at a Japanese meeting, everyone wants to get out of there ASAP, but one person always raises a meaningless point and then everyone else jumps on the bandwagon. Unfortunately he felt the need to single out women.
Spitfire
The real Japan is becoming more and more apparent.
Moribund to its core.
With its non-stop conveyor belt of self-entitled old fogies continuing to 'lead' it seemingly off a cliff like a bunch of lemmings Japan is becoming rotten to the core.
Who will stand up and challenge the status quo?
It can't continue like this for much longer.........tons of poor people everywhere.......the politicians don't give two figs.
Hate to say it because I think almost all Japanese people are the salt of the world but I am fast losing respect for them.
If you can't help yourself......
Spitfire
salt of the earth even.
N. Knight
Ha ha ha... Japan really needs to get rid of all these old farts running the country
rgcivilian1
In my experience its just quite the opposite and getting them to talk much less voice their honest opinions is hard enough without this antique politician who sleeps during most meetings at the expense of our taxes. What a job get paid to sleep and make absurd comments. Time to FIRE the guy. RESIGN and put him in a museum. Thank you for the service but time to move on.
rcch
hah! Stupidity ignorance and stubbornness what a lovely combination. keep going then
_ where’s the popcorns?...
(O_O)
dbsaiya
And what say you IOC? You're going to tolerate this? Wasn't the Olympics supposed to showcase gender equality? What if Mori were to say something racist or make a remark against people who are handicapped or have disabilities? Silence?
Larry Lacky
He just apologized?? Huh?
Well did he bow? Doesn’t that help!?
moonbloom
Mori's attitude is indicative of the entrenched attitudes of the conservative Nationalists who were installed to power by the US as the LDP. Massive worker and student demonstrations attempted to dislodge them in the 1950's-70's but were thwarted with the help of the CIAand CIA/LDP-associates yakuza-
[ As the C.I.A. supported the Liberal Democrats, it undermined their opponents. It infiltrated the Japan Socialist Party... and placed agents in youth groups, student groups and labor groups, former C.I.A. officers said.
The American occupation forces freed accused war criminals like Nobusuke Kishi, later Japan's Prime Minister. Some of the rehabilitated politicians had close contacts with organized crime groups, known as yakuza. So did Yoshio Kodama, a political fixer and later a major C.I.A. contact in Japan who worked behind the scenes to finance the conservatives. ]
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/09/world/cia-spent-millions-to-support-japanese-right-in-50-s-and-60-s.html
itsonlyrocknroll
The political connotations, aftermath for Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo and the Government of Japan are a Public Relations nightmare waiting to create the poo storm.
Mori san has left Koike in an impossible political position.
The silence is deafening. Were is the Government?
Mori san through his selfish idiocy and posturing, has set in motion the means for broadcasters and sponsors to demand financial retribution.
That's is before the IOC get there teeth in.
Mori was to be just, well whatever Mori post was defined to be.
The reality is that, the Mori factor has or could have implications well beyond his political or economic remit.
bass4funk
I wish I could say I’m deeply shocked by those comments, but the. I’d be lying.....
Derek Grebe
What a surprise: Octogenarian, entitled LDP dinosaur refuses to accept any consequences for his actions.
Actions which, in any modern country, would have the thieving old f@rt's nose out of the trough and out of his job before his tea went cold.
And that's fine with the people - us - who pay his salary.
This country, in many ways, never really left the 18th century.
itsonlyrocknroll
This could become a issue.
All sponsors to extend contracts for postponed Tokyo Olympics....Dec 2020.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Tokyo-2020-Olympics/All-sponsors-to-extend-contracts-for-postponed-Tokyo-Olympics
Now fast forward, add in the pandemic, and Mori sans perceived misogynistic overtones?
The Suga Government and Yuriko Koike silence, what is left?
Join the dots
AzabuSamurai
I’ll take “Japanese stereotypes confirmed” for $100!
factchecker
The good part about this is that it's gone global. Exposing a sexist bigot to the world, should hopefully see a mass boycott of this circus, and its cancellation occur.
Richard Burgan
I can just see Japanese people who have lived overseas palming their foreheads and saying DOH. Even after he was forced to give his apology he still didn't get that he had done anything wrong. A reporter asked him if he still felt that women talk a lot. He said he didn't know since he hadn't talked to any recently. Maybe he has dementia? Anyway, I hope he will do better.
shogun36
So you "apologize" and while apologizing, you insult women more..........
This guy should start his stand up comedy career after all this nonsense.
I guess someone can take the heat.
Haha, you don't want anyone answering that question seriously, Mori.
Wolfpack
Sounds ominous.
rainyday
Man he sure knows how to dig himself into a deeper hole...
alyamal
Sir. Do not resign. We have no time for what you have done for long time to train new person about the Olympic Games. It is just a slip statement. We are better with you sir.
Hank standerford
Is not true? Enough of political correctness. It might of been some what insensitive, but not a crime that would require to step down.
Wolfpack
The man apologized- move on already. It’s not like he is being accused of rape or the like. He put his foot in his mouth. People are allowed to have different points of view aren’t they?
John
Ccp, goodbye, go away.
look after your little country before intruding on others.
don’t get it? Well, push and yer’ll get shoved.
Pukey2
I was expecting this. Nothing less from the self-entitled fossil. He is not going to see the Olympics.
sf2k
this is world news about the Olympics being published everywhere
gokai_wo_maneku
Any man stupid enough to utter such remarks is also stupid enough not to realize that he should resign. What an embarrassment to Japan!
NOMINATION
and nothing what he said in the past warranted a resignation? Like what he said about the Reed siblings or Mao Asada? He even went through lung cancer treatment during his reign as Olympic chief and still kept his position. Unfortunately, Japan is stuck with him unless someone removes him.
smithinjapan
I like how some people seem surprised by this -- the man has always been a sexist, racist pig. What's more, he berates athletes and people who don't do what he likes/wants. He ridiculed Asada Mao after she lost in Vancouver to Kim Yu-Na, played golf despite being told a Japanese fishing research ship with high school kids on it were hit by a surfacing sub and had died. And he's senile on top of it all.
Oh, oh! But he "wants to retract his remarks"! because, you know, that means you can no long point out that he said them.
Oxycodin
No Need to resign :) women are noisy and that is a fact know to men. no sexist. Remember there is no such thing as sex as LGBT had given everyone confusion about sex. Chillax.
carpslidy
There is a reason the retirement age is 65
Leo
The last thing the Japanese Olympic committee needed was controversy from its leader.
Wellington
I wish one of the reporters would ask Mori if the reason the meetings seem so long is because he is so old.
And then watch his reaction.
Random
Mori says something stupid...stop the presses!
HJSLLS
Now I have absolutely no interest in the Olympics this year and with Mori in charge. Completely disgusted by his statement and then his insults in his “apology”. If the mood for the Olympics was souring due to raging pandemic, it’s now completely toxic with Mori’s misogynistic statements. Sponsors need to do what’s right and step away until Mori is replaced. Women have been walked all over by Japanese men and it will keep happening for as long as we ignore it.
girl_in_tokyo
WolfpackFeb. 4 09:17 pm JST
You know, you are absolutely right! People are allowed to have different points of view.
Mori can say all the sexist things that he likes, whenever he likes! And there is nothing we can do about it - except, of course, express our own point of view in return. Just like we are doing now.