Yoshiro Mori (83), chairman of the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, who has been criticized for his disdain for women, has not been asked by the government, the sports community, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to resign. .. Government assets and sports officials all say, “It’s hard to replace with someone else.” It was because he knew the secret efforts that he kept bowing at home and abroad to make the bid for the Olympics and the 19th Rugby World Cup Japan tournament successful.
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With the exception of the opposition, there are no voices calling for Mr. Mori’s resignation from any field, including government and government assets. Rather, as I continue to interview, I hear only the voice that the chairman of the Organization Committee says, “There is no substitute for Mr. Mori.” Human relationships that cannot be built overnight have a great influence.
IOC President Thomas Bach has tremendous trust in Mr. Mori. In 19th, Mr. Bach made a speech in front of participating countries at the luncheon of the G20 Osaka Summit. He appealed for the significance of the Olympics. Due to the huge financial burden, it is a valuable place to appeal as the “Olympic away” progresses. Mr. Mori took a break with then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had a master-student relationship.
Although it is the IOC, it is unusual for the president of a private organization to give a speech at a gathering of leaders of each country. It would not have been possible without Mr. Mori’s presence. Looking back, at the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018, Mr. Bach promoted a joint march for the opening ceremony of the host countries South Korea and North Korea and a joint team proposal for ice hockey girls with the governments of both countries.
The spirit of the Olympics sets it apart from politics, but Mr. Bach, who is said to have a desire for the Nobel Peace Prize, has rather shortened his distance from politics. The intention to visit the A-bombed area Hiroshima at the time of the torch relay in May also shows the willingness to receive the award.
Former Prime Minister Mori, who has a pipe with the leaders of each country, is an irreplaceable existence for Mr. Bach. It also leads to the reason why the IOC closed the curtain saying “this problem is over” after Mr. Mori apologized and withdrew his remarks.
Many tournament officials say, “If Mr. Mori is no longer the chairman, the entire Tokyo Olympics may collapse.” It is not easy to put together a huge national project called the Olympics. Moreover, the new coronavirus has caused headwinds, making steering even more difficult. This is because unless Mr. Mori, who has a strong personality and a good face in the political and governmental assets and sports world, will lose his power balance and the various fields may fall apart.
Mr. Mori has served as chairman of the Japan Sports Association (currently the Japan Sports Association) and the Japan Rugby Union, and retired from politics in 2012. At that time, he tried to give away the top position in the sports world. However, when the bid for the Tokyo Olympics was decided in September 2013, there are growing voices among sports officials expecting Mr. Mori to re-pitch.
Thinking for Japan, he traveled around the world to invite the Rugby World Cup and the Tokyo Olympics, and bowed to various places. However, both bids failed for the first time. Nevertheless, he patiently traveled to various places concerned again and succeeded in inviting them for the second time. It was the result of continuing negotiations to whip the old body and squeeze the ground. This remark itself is not surprising, but the people concerned who have seen the effort did not have the idea of asking Mr. Mori, who apologized, to resign.
In Japan, in addition to the direct Olympic expenses, the investment is about 3 trillion yen including the expenses related to the city and the estimate by the Board of Audit. If the Olympics fail, it will cause great damage to the Japanese economy. If one of the IOCs is also canceled, the broadcasting rights fee will not be charged and it will hurt. If Mr. Bach suddenly changes the policy that he has consistently held until the first postponement in the history of the Olympics, his trust as chairman will be shaken. For both sides, Mr. Mori’s grip is in a situation where he cannot part with it.
On the other hand, there are voices calling for the resignation of Mr. Mori to encourage the inspiration of female leader Yuriko Koike, the governor of Tokyo. In 16 years since he became governor of Tokyo, why did Mr. Koike, who raised Mr. Mori as a political enemy and challenged the political dispute to change the previous Olympics plan, not request his resignation this time? A political official said, “If the Olympics cannot be held due to confusion by rebelling against Mr. Mori, he will be labeled as” the governor of Tokyo who crushed the Olympics “and will not be able to aim for the top anymore.”
The “above” is the prime minister. The fact that “the governor of Tokyo has succeeded in the Olympics” is a great achievement for Mr. Koike, who is looking at the first female prime minister. The idea of making the Olympics a success is in agreement.
Organizational executives say. “Chairman Mori has a different scale.” Because they know the efforts that are difficult for the people to see, the people who know Mr. Mori have entrusted their fate to “continuation.”[Kazunori Misu]
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