Hashimoto Seiko Likely to Become New Chairperson of Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee

Former Speed Skating and Cycling Athlete... Competed in 7 Olympic Games

Seiko Hashimoto, Japan's Minister in charge of the Olympics, is being strongly considered as the next president of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, local media including NHK reported on the 17th. Photo by AP/ Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Seiko Hashimoto, the Minister in charge of the Olympics, is being seriously considered as the successor to Mori Yoshiro, the chairman of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee who announced his resignation amid controversy over misogynistic remarks.

On the 17th, NHK and others reported that the organizing committee held a review committee meeting to select Mori’s successor and unified the candidate to only Minister Hashimoto. The committee is expected to first appoint Minister Hashimoto as a director at the council meeting, then hold additional meetings before officially appointing her as chairman.

Previously, the organizing committee formed a candidate review committee with eight members to select the next chairman. After meetings over two days on the 16th and 17th, NHK reported that this policy was decided on the same day.

If Minister Hashimoto accepts the appointment request, the organizing committee plans to hold a board meeting later this week to officially elect the new chairman through formal procedures.

Minister Hashimoto, who has been mentioned as a strong candidate to succeed Chairman Mori, has repeatedly maintained that she "has no intention" regarding this matter when asked.

Minister Hashimoto is a former athlete who participated in seven Winter and Summer Olympics, including the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics, competing in speed skating and cycling. She has been serving as the Minister in charge of the Olympics since 2019.

Meanwhile, Minister Hashimoto was also involved in a sexual harassment allegation in 2014 during her time as a member of the House of Councillors. At that time, Hashimoto, who was president of the Japan Skating Federation, caused controversy when a weekly magazine published photos of her forcibly hugging and kissing popular figure skater Daisuke Takahashi at a players’ village party after the closing ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.