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TOKYO – In days when the chairman of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee sparked a backlash by claiming that women talk too much in meetings, more than half of the Japanese public agreed in a poll that he was “Not qualified” to lead. One of Japan’s most prominent Olympic hopefuls, Naomi Osaka, said her comments were “really ignorant.” Editorials in two of the country’s biggest newspapers called on him to step down.
Yet after offering a brief apology, Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori, 83, remains the face of Japan’s efforts to host the most important event on the international sporting calendar. His imperviousness to the firestorm over his sexist remarks appears to reflect support for a Japanese power structure that is largely irresponsible to the public, works to preserve the old guard, and freezes the critical voices of the younger ones.
On social media, this generational divide has merged around the Japanese word ‘rougai’, a term that evokes irritation at the intransigent behavior of the country’s legions of elderly people, and which Mr. Mori himself used to discuss his words.
The tenacity of Mr Mori, the former prime minister, also shows how little incentive the country’s long-time ruling party has to stand up for women’s rights, managing to stay in power despite its inability to achieve its own goals. promotion of women in politics and the workplace.
“The people around Mori and himself think they can be like this because it’s always been like this,” said Kaori Hayashi, professor of sociology and media studies at the University of Tokyo. “And if the storm calms down, they can resume their normal activities. That has been culture.
Political leaders – almost all men – operate in a bubble, under the notion that “we decide,” said Hayashi. “That’s why even though we scream,” she added, “our voices cannot reach these circles.”
Mr Mori, who was one of the country’s most unpopular prime ministers two decades ago, made his comments last Wednesday after an online meeting of the Japanese Olympic Committee. In a speech about increasing female representation on the committee, he warned that meetings would never end, as women argued the most.
He then retracted his remarks, but said he had no intention of resigning. On Thursday night, he appeared on a satellite news show and hinted that he apologized mainly out of expediency. “Withdrawing my remarks was the quickest way,” he said. “The important Olympics are drawing closer.”
Since then, prominent political supporters have lined up to say Mr Mori should stay in charge. Yoshihide Suga, the current Prime Minister of Japan, called Mr. Mori’s remarks “against the national interest”, but pointed to a statement by the International Olympic Committee which declared the problem “closed. On Tuesday, the IOC issued a follow-up statement calling Mr. Mori’s comments “absolutely inappropriate.”
Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of Mr. Suga’s Liberal Democratic Party, said it would “not be a problem” for Mr. Mori to stay in place. “Isn’t that enough? Mr. Nikai said Mr. Mori retracted his comments.
Even those who criticized his comments refused to call for his departure. Seiko Hashimoto, the minister responsible for overseeing the Olympic Games, and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike – both of Japan’s top female politicians – said Mori “shouldn’t have made” the remark. But they said they would continue to support the organizing committee if it stayed at the top.
Jesper Koll, who has worked in Japan for decades as an economist, said that with Mr Suga’s deference to the entrenched male-dominated power structure, he missed “a golden opportunity to kill the world. old guard and obstructionists ”. Instead, Koll said, “the Prime Minister’s silence makes him complicit on the dark side of Japan.”
As a former Prime Minister with extensive experience in the world of sport, Mr. Mori can draw on his vast network built up over a career spanning several decades. And with the Olympics set to start in just over five months, some commentators have said it could be difficult to replace it. Organizers are struggling to establish protocols to protect the Games from a global pandemic that will not be finalized by the time of the opening ceremony on July 23.
With a reputation as a political fixer, Mr. Mori can also count on those who feel they owe him loyalty for previous favors bestowed on Japan’s island politics and business.
“He seems to be very good at dealing with people’s little problems and weaknesses, and a lot of people seem to depend on his support for their political and professional survival,” said Noriko Hama, professor of economics at Doshisha Business School. “So that’s probably serving him well right now, which is very sad, embarrassing and infuriating.”
Young people, in particular, she said, might like to express themselves. “But they fear the consequences because he is such an influential person,” Ms. Hama said.
Commentators have pointed out that Mr. Mori has been “blunder prone” throughout his career. But women’s rights activists say her comments go far beyond a simple mistake and reflect an attitude shared by many men in Japan.
Speaking on Asahi TV’s morning news analysis show Monday, Mayu Yamaguchi, a lawyer and former finance ministry official, choked on describing her own experience by being told it was “boring. When she has spoken as long as a male commentator, or being called “hysterical” if she speaks as loud as a man.
For years, Japan has been committed to improving its mediocre status among developed countries in the advancement of women. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said women are expected to occupy 30% of business leadership jobs by 2020; they hold less than 12 percent. Within the Liberal Democratic Party, 40 out of 391 deputies – just over 10% – are women.
In Mr. Suga’s 20-person cabinet, only two members are women and the average age is over 60.
“Even the relatively liberal wing of the LDP is not firmly committed to gender equality,” said Mito Akiyoshi, professor of sociology at Senshu University in Tokyo. “They are more opportunistic feminists. When it looks good for their public image or is apparently good for the economy, they try to push for greater involvement of women in politics and the economy.
Elections in Japan are mostly local, with ideology or identity politics not playing an important role. Voters emphasize security and continuity even if they disagree with the ruling party’s agenda, and women are as likely as men to support the Liberal Democrats, according to Gregory W. Noble, professor of comparative political economy at the University of Tokyo.
But that doesn’t mean women don’t appreciate the stakes when a powerful man like Mr. Mori puts them down.
Her comments could have profound effects on how women are treated, and not just at board meetings, said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, who oversees the group’s advocacy with the International Olympic Committee.
“If no action is taken on the man who runs the Summer Olympics, the world’s most important sporting event,” Ms Worden said, “then what message does this send to the girl whose swim coach touches her inappropriately or the women and girls who fight for a fair wage? “
Some activists say they don’t want to focus only on Mr. Mori. Kazuko Fukuda, one of the authors of a Change.org petition criticizing Mori’s remarks as “biased, narrow-minded and discriminatory,” said he called for broader policies to ensure gender equality .
“The people who said that it is not easy to include women or that women talk too long are not just Mori, but the people inside these institutions working for the Olympics,” said Ms. Fukuda said. “We believe it is not just an individual problem, but a structural problem.”
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