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Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara angers Brazilians

Representatives of Rio de Janeiro’s successful 2016 Olympic bid are seeking an apology from Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, after the defeated leader of the Tokyo Olympic bid made some unfriendly comments about why he thought Rio won:

Mike Lee criticized Ishihara’s comments and went as far as to call the Tokyo governor “a bad loser.”

Ishihara said at a press conference in Tokyo on Sunday he heard that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made “daring promises” to African people and that French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised to support Rio’s bid if Brazil purchased French-made fighter jets.

He also said, “invisible dynamics were at play.” It is unclear, however, which of those comments were a direct cause for Rio’s backlash.

“It was suggesting or hinting that there was some sort of trickery involved. It was very inappropriate. Everybody fights to win and some do better than others,” said Lee.

Should Ishihara apologize?

Update: A Japanese member of the IOC has apologized for Ishihara’s outburst.

[via JapanSoc]

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45 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - October 7, 2009 at 10:45 am

Categories: Politics Tags: olympics, Politics

anti

Since Olympics is a solidarity kind of sporting event, I wonder if Shintaro´s extreme right winged views played a role to why Tokyo lost. I hope so. I also think the J Media should pick up on it. The truth of the matter is, this mayor is a highly controversial figure in Japan and he got many enemies on his own turf.

The reason why Tokyo lost according to the media here is because they lacked the spirit. Get over it, Shinatro. With the exception of people in Koto-Ku and Chuo-Ku the majority of Tokyoties were against the games being held here. Not to mention Japanese in entire Japan. If Rio did come with daring promises and what not, then it just shows that they tried more than Tokyo. Grow up, get over this soap opera, all of you.
HamachiMan

Geez, who cares what this guy says?

What, a Brazilian can make fun of Japanese politics and olympic bid but not the other way around? Double standards anyone?

DC

Making a cheeky joke is not the same as accusing someone of corruption.

Or is there no difference in Japanese culture?

Tokyo loses, s0 Ishihara accuses foreigners of cheating. And, as expected, many Japanese people seem to be agreeing with him. What happened to dignity?
radical pikachu

It’s Tokyo Gov! It greatest city in the world with economy bigger than California and Spain. Only reason for him to come out with such strong statements is that he probably has documented proof of what he said.

DC

I think you’re missing the more obvious explanation that, in addition to being a wagamama sore loser, Ishihara is an undignified, unscrupulous, racist old fool.

Ajapa

Do you feel affinity to him?

DC said…
And, as expected, many Japanese people seem to be agreeing with him.

rokit

WRONG! This jerk-wad never has proof. He claims in conversations that former leaders (now dead) from the Philippines, Myannamar, and even Korea said Japan did a great thing by liberating Asia from the west. He’s so full of BS his eyes went from ‘brack’ to brown.

kai

i totally agree with you HamachiMan
Mr. USA

This racist should resign. Not because of his comments, but because he’s an asshole.

longus dickus

stop to call idiots a “racist”!

william

agree to hamachiman as well…
but the “daring promises” is actually true.
fg

I agree with Hamachi-man.

Shintaro had sour grapes because he spent so much money on it and has other things to worry about back home.

I don’t care for the Olympics. It’s a shady business anyways. What happened to the amateur spirit, they only come from poor countries now. It’s a communist mass-game for those who love one-world ideas.
DC

Now that Tokyo has lost, it seems many Japanese might adopt this wagamama “didn’t want it anyway, so there” attitude… in addition to accusing foreigners of cheating. Contrast this with other candidate countries’ dignified responses to losing.

fg

Didn’t you know that the Japanese threw away their “dignity” a long time ago? Are you one of those fujiyama geisha people?

It’s a fact that many people here didn’t want the Olympics. I’d rather have a glimpse of Rio on TV. Congratulations to Rio! Seriously.
anti

Out of all the candidates, Tokyo had least support among it´s own according to the J-TV shows I´ve been seeing. I had talked with a few people about Olympics and most of them did not have an opinion or did not want the games. The games were supposed to be held in eastern Tokyo so the people in that area were looking forward to it like this Izakaya owner I talked with because that would have meant more business to his shop, but apart from that, there was not much Olympics passion in Tokyo.
weirdo

That’s not how you use 「我侭」・・・

ij487i

Gov. Ishihara making racist or otherwise insensitive statements?

Well, I never!
David

I thought it was well known that there is a fair amount of sleaze involved in every decision about where to host the Olympics. All the previous ones and probably this one.

Personally I’m quite happy with the Rio decision though.
Canadian

The misadventure of Shintaro Ishihara: Olympic Boogaloo
leitmotiv

Hilarious. Corruption is a time-honored tradition with the IOC.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/297030.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Winter_Olympic_bid_scandal

I guess ol’ “Blinky” Ishihara is all sour grapes because, in this case, someone may have actually been better than him at the corruption game (a game at which Blinky is admittedly a legend).

http://dimesfornickels.wordpress.com/ William George

I thought it was well known the IOC was more crooked than a pretzel as well.

Maybe he thought he was the only one who knew this?
john

Word. Not that Ishihara isn’t an ass. He is. But, yeah, word.

jikku

Almost all of my Japanese friends in Tokyo were like “LOL Ishihara lost!” Not “Tokyo lost” but “Ishihara lost”.

Personally, I’m glad Rio won.
Mister M

the majority of people here need to visit Rio to know how Ishihara is right. I used to be in Brazil, and he is right. The Brazilian Government is the one of the most currupt government around the planet. So stop making statement without making share of the fact.

sublight

Nobody so far has claimed that Rio hasn’t done anything corrupt. They’re pointing out that Ishihara is a sore loser and an arrogant windbag, which is based on a very large share of fact.

Mister M

If President Lula and his members are so sure that they are right about the Rio Bid’s succesful choice, so why Lula got offended with Shintaro’s statement?

Many people criticize Beijin Olimpics’ choice and still Chinese Olimpic Commitee did not even send a note about it, but let the process going on.

What I mean is, if you are right, you have no need to get offended because you know you are right. If you show that feeling, that means that you are not right and you conscious accuse it.

Level3

Somehow there’s going to be some irony in 2016 when Japanese-speaking long-term resident Brazilians who were “encouraged” to leave Japan this year with the “here’s enough for a plane ticket, now leave and don’t come back!” plan, may get paying gigs shepherding Japanese tourists around the Rio Games, or be in charge of shepherding the Japanese tour guides.

Open up your wallets, rich J tourists. Revenge will be sweet.

weirdo

What did Japanese tourists ever do to deserve revenge from Brazilian immigrants they didn’t even know? That wouldn’t be “revenge” that would be 逆恨み。
The Overthinker

“Japanese-speaking”?? A lot of them don’t.

“…now leave and don’t come back!” on the same ancestry visa. At least not immediately.

sublight

Ishihara never made a peep about Tokyo hosting the Olympics until the moment Beijing was selected for 2008. From the beginning, his entire concern has been one-upping China instead of doing what was best for Tokyo. I’m honestly quite happy he lost his little pissing contest.

All I’m waiting for now is his announcement that the Asakusa Samba festival is now canceled.
sublight

Also, I voted that no, he shouldn’t apologize.

A, it was a very minor comment from someone who is now completely irrelevant as far as the Games are concerned,

and B, Ishihara has never made a sincere apology in his life, so what’s the point?
http://guialbuquerque.com Guilherme

He not angers us (Brazilians)! He absolutely right! Our President is the most stupid and corrupt guy ever, and our politics sucks like hell.
At least he is standing against this big joke! A lot of countries doesn’t do that cause Brazil can give a lot of (corrupted) money away to make things works. This is one of then.

I am a Brazilian, and I support Ishihara!

leitmotiv

I am a Brazilian, and I support Ishihara!

I hope the sheer irony of that statement is clear to you.

Ajapa

What if he had already decided never to visit Tokyo?

lovely

that man (ishihara) is a total baffoon. why do they keep re-electing him? it truly boggles the mind.
anti

“I am a Brazilian, and I support Ishihara!”

Strange!!! I support Zico but not Ishihara.

aussie

sounds like a troll to me…

http://www.shoujo-cafe.blogspot.com Valéria Fernandes

Olympcis stuff is politic stuff. Knowing my country ploitics and my president, I’d not be surprised if all this accusations are absolutely right. I support Ishihara, and he should not apologize. Lula was very upolite with Japanese people and the Prime Ministaer of Japan and, of couse, he’ll not apologize eithr.

Some people in my country are really thinking that Rio will become paradise in Earth… They’ll be deceived and most of the money will be taken buy the corrupt politicians and frinds.

Mister M

You are right Valeria!!!

Ajapa

Ishihara has many tongues to make a slip but none for apology.
What is the Lula’s characteristics?
q-chan

I am not surprised what he speak out becouse he is a celebrity who often cause trouble by his bossy & arrogant manner. Anyway, his attitude is not good looking in this case.

By the way, I am glad Lio won too personally because in my mind, the Olimpic should not be used for economic policy of developed countries.
Regardless of its dirty or not, the Olympic must be their turning point to be a great and mature country as the largest country in the South America.
Think about China,they assume a heavy resposibility to the world as the greatest country after the last Olympic. Any excuse that is like “We are an underdeveloped country.” or ” Don’t meddle in internal affairs.” will not be accepted by the world any more. Personally, I hope India will be the host of it next.

I guess that most of people come here must be dedicated person about human light, international manner and environment includes animal welfare (even its street tree?). So,I believe you get my point.

q-chan

sorry

human light – human right

Koko

Those Brazilian retarded who is “pro-Ishihara” must not be considered. They are the type of people who don’t know shit about politics and hates Lula because he favors the poor. The stupid rich and middle class of Brasil who just cant stand see people “outcast” people rise socially.

I am a Japanese descent , my four grandpas came from Japan and i am Brazilian. I think people out there dont realize that the biggest “colony” of Japanese people is in Brazil. Japan culture has a major cultural impact in São Paulo.

Mister M

Sorry to say, but you are wrong dear Koko. Lula has nothing to do with the economy growth. By the way, he(Lula) just care about soccer, sports, etc… now tell me, what he has done to stop corruption in Brazil? What he has done to make Sao Paulo and Rio safety? how about education, health care,etc…???

Never give up

Actually, Lula cares about sports and money. Did you all brazilians forgot already that he bought a plane with the tax money to himself? Oh right, it was to the president.
But wait, wasn’t his kid who went to a vacation trip with his friends in that “Airforce One”?
Indeed, Lula has nothing to do with the economy growth.
@Koko, Lula favor the poor ones because he knows that he can get voted doing so. While the tax to rich people get higher.
The “stupid rich and middle class” includes your parents and yourself, or do you exclude from that class? How do you use internet connection and did you pay for your english classes?
@Mister M, Sao Paulo and Rio safety doesn’t concern the president. That is the governor’s job to do so.
-
Back to the topic, maybe he is right. Maybe Brazil did some promises, but it isn’t always like this?
Like politicians always do some promises to get voted. I don’t think it is wrong.

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara angers Brazilians

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