The director for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday has been fired. Kenatro Kaboyashi was relieved from his duties by the organizing committee of the Olympics
This comes after a video resurfaced of him making a holocaust joke way back in 1992.
In the video, he made really demeaning remarks about what was a sensitive moment in the history of the Jews. He specifically said in the video, “Let’s play the genocide of the Jews”.
Seiko, Hashimoto, the president of the Organizing Committee of the Olympics said authorities handled the issue swiftly by removing the renowned Kobayashi from his high ranking role after the video resurfaced today, July 22nd.
五輪開会式ディレクターのラーメンズ・小林賢太郎さんが、「ユダヤ人大量虐殺ごっこをやろう」とホロコーストをネタにしてる動画です。https://t.co/dkDSArte0r pic.twitter.com/KJx02obaC7
— 実話BUNKAタブー編集部 (@BUNKA_taboo) July 21, 2021
48-year-old Kaboyashi released an apology after his dismissal saying ” Entertainment should not make people uncomfortable that my stupid choice of words at that time was wrong and I regret it”.
Barely days ago, one composer resigned from being pulled out of the event. Keigo Oyamada, the composer admitted to bullying a disabled classmate in the 1990s.
Hashimoto however assured the public that the games will still be opened as planned despite the troubling times. “..we are going to open the Games tomorrow under this difficult situation.”
According to TMZ, spectators will not be allowed at the opening ceremony in accordance with COVID-19 protocols and to prevent the rapid spread of the virus in Tokyo.
The games have been slated to begin at 8.pm Friday local time at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
