The 83-year-old former prime minister apologized for causing problems with his inappropriate comments. On February 3, he told a meeting of the Japanese Olympic Committee that a board with many female members requires more time for meetings.

He explained that if one woman makes a remark, other female members feel like each of them also must have a say due to a strong feeling of rivalry.

The following day, Mori retracted his remarks and apologized but said he would not resign. However, criticism against him mounted at home and abroad. Mori had asked former Japan Football Association President Kawabuchi Saburo to succeed him. But Kawabuchi ended up declining the opportunity amid calls for a more transparent process to choose Mori’s successor.