Yasuhiro Yamashita candidate to replace former Tokyo boss Mori

After Yoshiro Mori's demeaning remarks about women 83-year-old former prime minister was forced to step down last week. This week the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee is expected to be name his successor. The name of Judo legend Yasuhiro Yamashita is buzzing as possible replacement, but here is pressure to name a woman to replace Mori.

Some news reports in Japan say the front runner might be 63-year-old Yasuhiro Yamashita, the head of the Japanese Olympic Committee and a judo gold medalist from the 1984 Olympics.

Yamashita took over the Japanese Olympic body after his predecessor, Tsunekazu Takeda, was forced to step down in 2019 in a bribery scandal. Yamashita is also a member of the International Olympic Committee by virtue of his position in Japan.

Media in Japan have listed almost a dozen women, most in their 50s, that seem to fit the bill. Many are former Olympians and medal winners. Japan ranks 121st out of 153 in terms of gender equality in a report done by the World Economic Forum, and the "old boy network" remains stronger in Japan than in most developed countries.

Seiko Hashimoto, the current Olympic minister in the government of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, has been mentioned frequently. She won a bronze medal in speedskating in 1992. Also former top judoka Kaori Yamaguchi was named (she won Olympic bronze in 1988).

In addition to Yamashita, some men have also been mentioned. They include former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.