Tokyo Governor Ishihara makes further improper remarks against women

Ishihara Shintaro, Tokyo's governor infamous for a number of slanderous
remarks against women, elderly people, disabled people, and foreign
residents in Japan, is under fire for another contemptuous remark he made
about women in the plenary session of the Metropolitan Assembly.

In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly of December 11, when Ishihara was
criticized for his remarks in a women's weekly magazine saying he despised
old women, the governor stated that "old women are very unreasonable."

It was in reply to a question from Japanese Communist Party assembly
member Watanabe Yasunobu regarding the governor's remarks that "long-lived
women are 'wasteful and a sin,' and their very existence is harmful to the
earth."

Watanabe urged the governor to retract his arrogant remarks, saying, "If
the governor believes that elderly and disabled people and women 'aren't
worthy of living,' citizens will back away from the metropolitan
government."

Ishihara flatly refused to retract his remarks, saying, "Compared with
the way of living of other animals, women in their old days could be called
odious." (end)