Under-fire Olympic composer steps down over past bullying
KEIGO OYAMADA, a Japanese composer working on the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, resigned yesterday after coming under fire for bullying classmates during his childhood.
“I sincerely accept the opinions and advice I have received, express my gratitude, and will keep them in mind for my future actions and thoughts,” he said on his Twitter and Facebook accounts. “I apologise from the bottom of my heart.” Reports of his past abuse of classmates, including those with disabilities, surfaced online recently and sparked a backlash on social media, plus demands for his resignation.
Games organisers said on Sunday that he would stay on because he had shown remorse. Hours after Oyamada submitted his resignation, they reversed their position and called his actions “absolutely unacceptable,” saying their earlier decision to let him stay on in light of his apology and the short time left before the opening ceremony was “wrong”.
“We offer our deepest apologies for the offence and confusion caused to so many during this time,” the organisers said.
Oyamada, 52, also known as ‘Cornelius’, apologised online last week.
REQUESTING A PUBLIC APOLOGY
Some critics had said he should hold a news conference and apologise in person. Others questioned why he had not apologised earlier.
Oyamada, whose works have been compared to the American rock musician Beck, talked about the abuse in Japanese magazine interviews he gave in the 1990s.
In a statement on Sunday, Atsuko Kubo, head of an association of families of the mentally disabled, “strongly protested” against Oyamada’s past actions and said it was disturbing he had targeted the disabled, who were less likely to fight back, and that he still bragged about it years later.
Earlier yesterday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said Oyamada’s past bullying goes against government policy of achieving an inclusive society and “cannot be tolerated”.
Later yesterday, organisers said a segment of the music Oyamada composed for Friday’s opening ceremony will not be used, NHK public television and other Japanese media reported. He will also be removed from his planned role in the Paralympics opening ceremony, NHK said.
Friday’s ceremony will be held without spectators in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus infections, although some officials, guests and media will attend.
Oyamada’s is the latest resignation to plague the Games. Yoshiro Mori resigned as organising committee president over remarks perceived as sexist. Hiroshi Sasaki also stepped down as creative director for the opening and closing ceremonies after suggesting that a Japanese actress should dress as a pig.