The head of the Tokyo Olympics organising committee has resigned after he was criticised for making “inappropriate” remarks about women.
Yoshiro Mori, 83, was quoted as saying women talk too much and that meetings with many female board directors would “take a lot of time”.
The remarks set off a firestorm of protest and Mori apologised at the time but said he would not resign.
But on Friday, Mori apologised for his “inappropriate statement”.
“What is important is to hold the Olympics from July. It must not be the case that my presence becomes an obstacle to that,” Mori said at a special committee meeting on Friday, where he also announced his resignation.
It is not clear who will replace Mori. He had initially selected well-known sports administrator Saburo Kawabuchi, 84, to replace him but also led to protests.
Mori’s resignation came as pressure mounted on him over the past week. major sponsors came forward to criticise his comments, including Toyota, one of the biggest Olympic backers.
Toyota’s president Akio Toyoda said the company was “disappointed.
