The mayor of the western Japanese city of Osaka yesterday came under fire on social media after saying that women take longer than men to shop for groceries as he tried to promote social distancing to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the city.
By yesterday morning there were nearly 1,500 COVID-19 cases in Osaka and its surrounding prefecture, making it the second hardest-hit after Tokyo, Japan Broadcasting Corp said.
Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui has urged people to take steps to reduce the risk of infections, but his remarks over gender shopping behavior stirred controversy.
Photo: Reuters
“When a woman goes ... it will take time,” Matsui said when asked by a male reporter about possibly reducing entry to supermarkets to lower the risk of infections.
“If it was you, if you were told to get this or that, then you would go directly ... and go home,” he said. “It’s also fine for men to go shopping while avoiding contact.”
Matsui, who also said that married couples should avoid going shopping together, drew criticism on Twitter over his remarks, with Japanese users saying that they were sexist.
“Japan is a country where these words come calmly out of a mayor’s mouth. Deplorable,” one user said.
Another user said that the remarks showed that politicians do not think enough about what parenting, household work and nursing involve.
“When I hear remarks like this ... I feel the need for people with diverse backgrounds to participate in politics,” the user said.
“Women are deciding more quickly when shopping,” another user said, adding that he took longer to find the right aisles for items he needed.
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