In an interview appearing in The New York Times on April 26, Tokyo Gov. Naoki Inose sullied Tokyo's chances for hosting the 2020 Olympic Summer Games by violating one of the key rules of the International Olympic Committee — not to directly criticize competitors.
Mr. Inose spoke ill of Istanbul, one of the other finalist cities bidding to host the Olympic Games. His uninformed and unconsidered comments reveal a lack of sensitivity to other cultures and a poor understanding of Japan's own culture.
Trying hard to promote Tokyo would be no disgrace, but Mr. Inose moved far past the boundaries of courteous conduct by claiming that Istanbul was under-developed and ill equipped to host the games. Mr. Inose's comments tarnished the image of a rival city, breaking the rules and protocols in competing for the games. Those rules are taken seriously by the IOC Committee and the rest of the world.