Tokyo 2020: Olympics opening ceremony director sacked over 1998 Holocaust joke
22 July 2021, 06:12 | Updated: 22 July 2021, 06:21
The director of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics has been fired after being accused of making a joke about the Holocaust over 20 years ago.
Kentaro Kobayashi is understood to have made the comment in a comedy show in 1998 with clips being shared on social media in Japan.
He was accused of using a joke about the Holocaust in a comedy act as part of TV comedy duo Rahmens in 1998, including the phrase: "Let's play Holocaust."
Mr Kobayashi had been appointed as director for the opening and closing ceremonies after his predecessor quit for making a derogatory remark about a popular female Japanese entertainer.
Kobayashi's dismissal comes one day before the start of the opening ceremony.
Japan's Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto said: “We’re currently investigating how to conduct tomorrow’s opening ceremony.”
Earlier this week, a composer whose music is expected to be used in the event was forced to resign over allegations of bullying.
