As public anger toward Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori's sexist remarks continues unabated, critics have pointed out how they have exposed the lack of progress made so far in eliminating entrenched discrimination against women in Japan.
"Mr. Mori has been gaffe-prone, but this remark should not be attributed to his character. This is a problem of how decisions are made in Japan and how men in power are biased," Kiriu Minashita, a sociology and gender studies professor at Kokugakuin University, said of the 83-year-old former prime minister.
"We should not only seek (Mori's) resignation but also correct the background that generated his remarks," Minashita said.