A petition calling for action against Yoshiro Mori, head of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee who caused an uproar with sexist comments, had gathered more than 110,000 signatures as of Saturday evening, two days after its launch by Japanese activists.
Mori, 83, set off a storm on social media at home and abroad by saying women talked too much, in remarks made in a meeting with the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC). He later retracted the comments and apologized but refused to resign.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday that Mori's apology had settled the issue, but Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said the games were facing a "major issue."