Misogynistic statements, handicap abuse, Holocaust jokes – a string of scandals cast a shadow over the Olympics’ opening ceremony. Business representatives no longer want to be there.
series of scandals Japanese The makers of Olympia overshadowed the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Just a day before the ceremony at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, organizers relieved the celebration’s creative director, Kentaro Kobayashi, of his duties on Thursday. The occasion was the appearance of a video clip of the former comedian’s appearance in 1998, in which he ridiculed the Holocaust. “Any association of this person with the Tokyo Olympics would offend the memory of six million Jews and Paralympic Games mocked him harshly,” commented Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
The composer also resigned
The head of the Japanese organization, Seiko Hashimoto, has apologized for the recent scandal. Just four days ago, Japanese Opening Ceremony author Keigo Oyamada – also known in the West as Cornelius – quit due to bullying disabled children during his school days. Hashimoto lamented on Thursday that it took him so long to let go of Aoyamada.
Managing Director OK Toshiro Muto said that the current program of the entire opening must now be carefully examined again. Hashimoto said one would now advise quickly on how to hold the ceremony and come to the conclusion “as soon as possible”.
In March, Tokyo Summer Games creative director Hiroshi Sasaki resigned over derogatory remarks about a famous Japanese artist. He had admitted telling staff the idea that comedian powerhouse Naomi Watanabe might look like a pig at the Games’ opening ceremony. In a pink outfit, she will appear as “Olympic,” Japanese irony – pig means pig in English.
Hashimoto takes responsibility
Before him, then-Olympic organizer Yoshiro Mori had also resigned over gender-biased comments. His successor, Hashimoto, has taken responsibility for the recent scandals, but does not want to resign. Their mission is to make the games a “big hit”. You will work for this until the end. Meanwhile, a number of Japanese business leaders, including the head of the auto giant and first Olympic sponsor Toyota, have announced that they will not attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Japanese TV channel NHK reported on Thursday that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also wanted to stay away from her. Abe was instrumental in ensuring Tokyo won the Games in 2013 despite exacerbating problems with the nuclear ruin of Fukushima by assuring the International Olympic Committee that “everything is under control” there.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210722-99-471850 / 4 (dpa)