Osaka mayor tries damage control
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E-mail China Daily, May 28, 2013
Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto is a reminder to other Japanese politicians of a basic political lesson: Watch what you say.
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Toru Hashimoto, Osaka mayor |
His insulting remarks about both US servicemen stationed in Okinawa and "comfort women" from the World War II era have created a crisis for himself and his Japan Restoration Party, which he co-heads with former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara.
Hashimoto is being asked to resign as Osaka mayor. Public support is falling for his party, which was deemed a strong part of the "third force" for the Upper House election in July.
Looking for a political turnaround, he decided to reword his statement on Monday. He picked the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, in Tokyo, to show his global vision this time.
Hashimoto urged the US military in Japan to enforce strict discipline for its servicemen and retracted his earlier suggestion that they use Japan's adult entertainment industry to prevent them from committing sex offenses.
He said on Thursday that he lacked "international awareness" when making the original remarks.
A large number of US troops are stationed in Japan. The rapes of Japanese women by some US servicemen triggered waves of protests against the US military presence in Okinawa and led to tight restrictions on off-base activities.
On May 13, Hashimoto said anyone can understand why comfort women - who were forcibly drafted into sexual servitude by the Japanese army - were necessary for brave soldiers who had been at the front lines. He also said that when he visited Okinawa to inspect the US Futenma air base in late April he asked a senior military officer to let US marines use local adult entertainment services.
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