TOKYO – The planning committee for the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday appointed Seiko Hashimoto, Japan’s cabinet minister in charge of the Olympics and race equality, following the resignation of 83-year-old Yoshinoko Yoshiko, who resigned last week in the wake of an international firestorm over sexist remarks.
Olympic Olympic medalist in speedcating Ms. Hashimoto’s selection of 56 represents a totally pay generation and gender shift for the committee, which initially considered naming the former head of the governing body for Japanese soccer, another group leader, Saburo Kawabuchi. , As a replacement for Mr. Mori.
Although the selection did not deviate from the establishment, Mr. Mori’s resignation and Ms. Hashimoto’s appointment reflected both social media and the growing power of Japanese activists to stick to the path he saw as an important symbolic decision.
“In the past, it should have just been criticized, and then the issue would have ended,” said Kazyo Katsuma, a former businessman and leading author of the best-selling books on gender and work-life balance. “But this time he had to resign because of a lot of criticism from women who raised their voices.”
The public, who went public on social media, also prepared to leave the original selection of the successor to the organizing committee. Last week, Mr Kawabuchi, 84, told reporters he was ready to accept acceptance to make Mr Mori a success, prompting the planning committee to quickly change plans after critics drew attention. Mr. Kawabuchi’s age, his clear support for corporal punishment of children and the fact that he himself was carried out by Mr. Mori.
Following Mr. Mori’s resignation last Friday, Toshiro Muto, the chief executive of the organizing committee, announced the formation of a new selection committee to select a successor five months before the start of the Games, consisting of half men and half women. In July.
A number of names were published in the Japanese media, but Ms. Hashimoto has always been a clear leader.
Hashimoto is a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and has served in the upper house of the Japanese parliament since 1995. Accepting the job as the chairperson of the Olympic planning committee, Ms. Hashimoto resigned halfway through his cabinet post. Number of women in Mr. Suga’s cabinet.
Speaking on Thursday afternoon after her official appointment by the executive board of the Tokyo Organizing Committee on Thursday afternoon, Ms. Hashimoto said her first priority would be to implement coronavirus protection measures at the Summer Games so that “both Japanese people and people abroad will think that Tokyo Games are safe and secure.” Is. “
But she admitted she took the post after a scandal erupted over her predecessor’s sexist criticism – comments that raised questions about the planning committee’s commitment to gender equality.
He said he would work to establish a “gender equality promotion team” within a month.
Ms. Hashimoto is no stranger to becoming a female wrestler in a male-dominated space. She was the second member of parliament to give birth while in office, and to accommodate her, Parliament changed its rules to allow members to have time for childbirth. Mrs. Hashimoto took a week off when her daughter was born.
As an Olympian, Ms. Hashimoto competed in a total of seven Summer and Winter Olympic Games in speedketting and cycling in the 1980s and ’90s. He won a bronze medal in the 1,500-meter speed skating event at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.
Ms. Hashimoto entered politics when Mr. Mori was secretary general of the Liberal Democrats, and he joined his political group, one of the handful of influential groups that could determine the careers of Japanese legislators.
“I think Mrs. Hashimoto was chosen to maintain Mr. Mori’s influence,” said Etsuo Ito, an independent political analyst and former staff member for both the Liberal Democrats and the opposition Democratic Party.
Kazuko Fukuda, a women’s rights activist and one of the authors of Change.org’s petition, who criticized Mr. Mori’s remarks, said he was glad that the Olympic Committee finally “valued the voice of the people” .
“It seemed to be decided without any meeting or discussion,” Ms. Fukuda said. “For a long time, everything was decided at the dinner table after work, so many people who had to do care work, mainly women, could not get involved in the important decision-making process, which really hinders women.”
Japanese women who have exposed the scandal said they saw some hope in Ms. Hashimoto’s choice – or at least the solitude of another older man.
“It’s a step in the right direction because we’re talking about it,” said Robin Narimetsu, a Rob. Growing up in Tokyo, all these misconceptions are so pervasive in our society that most people do not take notice. “
“It’s very common for all decision makers to be middle-aged or older men,” Ms. Narimatsu said who sits on the board of his father’s restaurant and real estate business and raises two teenagers. “I think people are finally recognizing and seeing it as a potential problem.”
Makiko InoiAnd Hisako UnoContributed report.
