Defiant Mori retracts sexist remarks

TOKYO • Japan's gaffe-prone Tokyo Olympics chief yesterday apologised for making sexist remarks that prompted outrage, but refused to resign and dug a deeper hole when he admitted he did not "speak to women much".

Yoshiro Mori's initial comments, in which he said women speak too much in meetings, are the latest headache for organisers already battling public disquiet about the pandemic-postponed Games.

The 83-year-old former Japanese prime minister triggered further criticism when he admitted "I don't speak to women much" in a hastily organised press conference called to make his apology.

While Mori, the president of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, said his initial remarks were "inappropriate", he became defensive when questioned, insisting he had heard complaints that women speak at length.

"Board of directors meetings with many women take a lot of time," he was quoted as saying by the Asahi Shimbun daily. "When you increase the number of female executive members, if their speaking time isn't restricted to a certain extent, they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying."

Mori did not dispute the report and told reporters he wanted to "retract" his comments and claimed his wife had given him a "thorough scolding".

"What I said... went against the spirit of the Olympics and Paralympics, and I recognise that it was inappropriate," he said. "I would also like to retract what I said. I would like to apologise to everyone who was offended."

However, he added that he was "not thinking about resigning", insisting he was responding to comments he had heard about women speaking for too long.

"I hear those things often," Mori said. "I don't speak to women much recently, so I wouldn't know."

The comments sparked a furious reaction in Japan, while Atsushi Tamura, one half of famous comedy act London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go, pulling out of the Games torch relay in protest.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga was also booed in parliament when he said he was "not aware of the details". After being briefed, he said they were something "that should not be allowed".

Japan's Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto, a former Olympian, also said she wished to hold "thorough discussions" with Mori.

But the International Olympic Committee will take no further action following Mori's apology, issuing an official statement it "considers the issue closed".

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS