{"id":12130,"date":"2014-02-20T20:46:16","date_gmt":"2014-02-21T06:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=12130"},"modified":"2014-12-27T12:33:49","modified_gmt":"2014-12-27T22:33:49","slug":"former-pm-and-tokyo-2020-chair-mori-bashes-his-athletes-including-naturalized-citizens-chris-and-cathy-reed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=12130","title":{"rendered":"Former PM and Tokyo 2020 Chair Mori bashes his Olympic athletes, including “naturalized citizens” Chris and Cathy Reed (PLUS article on J athletes’ shortened lifespans due to the pressure)"},"content":{"rendered":"

eBooks, Books, and more from ARUDOU Debito (click on icon):
\n\"Guidebookcover.jpg\"<\/a>\"japaneseonlyebookcovertext\"<\/a>\"Handbook<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\u300c\u30b8\u30e3\u30d1\u30cb\u30fc\u30ba\u30fb\u30aa\u30f3\u30ea\u30fc\u3000\u5c0f\u6a3d\u5165\u6d74\u62d2\u5426\u554f\u984c\u3068\u4eba\u7a2e\u5dee\u5225\u300d\uff08\u660e\u77f3\u66f8\u5e97\uff09\"<\/a>\"sourstrawberriesavatar\"<\/a>\"debitopodcastthumb\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>
\nUPDATES ON TWITTER: arudoudebito
\nDEBITO.ORG PODCASTS on iTunes, subscribe free
\n“LIKE” US on Facebook at http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/debitoorg<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/www.facebook.com\/handbookimmigrants<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JapaneseOnlyTheBook<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BookInAppropriate<\/a>
\nIf you like what you read and discuss on Debito.org, please consider helping us stop hackers and defray maintenance costs with a little Paypal donation:<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n\"\"<\/form>\n

Thanks for your support!<\/i><\/p>\n

Hi Blog. \u00a0Aaand, the inevitable has happened: \u00a0Japan’s apparently underperforming athletes (particularly its ice skaters) have invited criticism from Japan’s elite. \u00a0Tokyo 2020 Chair Mori Yoshiro, one of Japan’s biggest gaffemeisters when he served an abysmal stint as Prime Minister<\/a>, decided to shoot his mouth off about champion skater Asada Mao’s propensity to choke under pressure. \u00a0But more importantly, as far as Debito.org is concerned, about how the American-Japanese skating siblings Cathy and Chris Reed’s racial background<\/em> has negatively affected their performance:<\/p>\n

“They live in America,” Mori said. “Although they are not good enough for the U.S. team in the Olympics, we included these naturalized citizens on the team.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh. \u00a0But wait. \u00a0They’re not naturalized. \u00a0They always had Japanese citizenship, since their mother is Japanese<\/a>. \u00a0And how about Japan’s other athletes that also train if not live overseas (such as Gold Medalist Skater Hanyu Yuzuru, who now hails from Toronto<\/a>)? \u00a0Oh, but he won, so that’s okay. \u00a0He’s a real pureblooded Japanese with the requisite\u00a0yamato\u00a0<\/em>damashi.<\/i><\/p>\n

In fact, the existence of people like Mori are exactly the reason why Japan’s athletes choke. \u00a0As I’ve written before, they put so much pressure \u00a0and expectation on them to perform perfectly as national representatives, not as individuals trying to achieve their personal best<\/a>, so if they don’t medal (or worse yet, don’t Gold), they are a national shame. \u00a0It’s a very high-stakes game for Japan’s international athletes, and this much pressure is counterproductive for Japan: \u00a0It in fact shortens their lives not only as competitors, but as human beings (see article by Mark Schreiber after the Japanese articles).<\/p>\n

Fortunately, this has not escaped the world media’s glance. \u00a0As CBS News put it: \u00a0“Hurray for the Olympic spirit! You seem like a perfectly sensible choice to head a billion-dollar effort to welcome the world to Tokyo, Mr. Mori!”<\/em> \u00a0But expect more of this, for this is how “sporting spirit” is hard-wired in Japan. \u00a0Because these types of people (especially their invisible counterparts in the media and internet) are not only unaccountable, they’re devoid of any self-awareness or empathy. \u00a0If they think they can do better, as one brash Japanese Olympic swimmer once said, why don’t they try doing it themselves? \u00a0Then she was taken off the team, never to return. \u00a0ARUDOU, Debito<\/p>\n

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
\nWINTER OLYMPICS<\/strong>
\n Tokyo 2020 chairman Mori critical of Asada, ice dancing brother and sister<\/strong>
\n AP\/Japan Today SPORTS FEB. 21, 2014, courtesy JDG, Bob, and Dosanko<\/strong>
\nhttp:\/\/www.japantoday.com\/category\/sports\/view\/tokyo-2020-chairman-mori-critical-of-asada<\/a><\/p>\n

TOKYO \u2014The head of Tokyo\u2019s 2020 Olympic organizing committee has criticized Japanese figure skater Mao Asada\u2019s performance in the women\u2019s short program at the Sochi Olympics.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The two-time world champion finished 16th in Wednesday\u2019s short program after falling on her opening triple axel. Asada was a silver medalist at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, where she finished second to South Korea\u2019s Yuna Kim.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, who became the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee\u2019s chairman last month, said Asada has a habit of \u201calways falling at the most critical time\u201d of a competition. He blamed Asada\u2019s short program shortcomings on her participation in the earlier team event at Sochi.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Asada performed sensationally in the free skate on Thursday night, however. She landed her trademark triple axel and wound up with a season\u2019s best of 142.71. That gave her a total of 198.22.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I could do it,\u201d Asada said through a translator. \u201cI tried my best, and everything went according to practice.\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

While in office, Mori had a reputation for making contentious comments. And his appointment to the Tokyo 2020 committee was criticized by some analysts who believe the 76-year-old former PM is too old to hold such a position.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Asada was selected for the inaugural team competition in the hope Japan would win a medal, but she also fell on the triple axel and Japan placed fifth.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t have taken part in the team competition,\u201d Mori said. \u201cThe psychological damage Asada incurred must have remained,\u201d for the short program.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Mori was also critical of Japanese ice dancers Chris and Cathy Reed, who were born in the United States but compete for Japan.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThey live in America,\u201d Mori said. \u201cAlthough they are not good enough for the U.S. team in the Olympics, we included these naturalized citizens on the team.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

==========================================
\nAlso featured in USA Today<\/a>, Minneapolis Star-Tribune<\/a>, NBC Sports<\/a>, CBS Sports<\/a>, Metro Montreal<\/a>, The Japan Times<\/a>, and others. \u00a0As CBS Sports put it:<\/p>\n

Mr. Mori wasn’t done yet, taking a shot at Japanese ice dancers Chris Reed and Cathy Reed, the children of a Japanese mother and American father who were born and raised in the U.S. but renounced American citizenship in order to compete for Japan.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“They live in America,” Mori said. “Although they are not good enough for the U.S. team in the Olympics, we included these naturalized citizens on the team.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hurray for the Olympic spirit! You seem like a perfectly sensible choice to head a billion-dollar effort to welcome the world to Tokyo, Mr. Mori!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

==========================================<\/p>\n

Here are some Japanese articles with the original quotes:<\/p>\n

\u68ee\u5143\u9996\u76f8\u3000\u30ea\u30fc\u30c9\u7d44\u306b\u300c\u4e94\u8f2a\u51fa\u5834\u306e\u5b9f\u529b\u306f\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u304c\u2026\u300d
\n\u300c\u8ca0\u3051\u308b\u3068\u5206\u304b\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u300d\u3000\u8b1b\u6f14\u3059\u308b\u68ee\u5143\u9996\u76f8
\n\u8b1b\u6f14\u3059\u308b\u3001\u6771\u4eac\u4e94\u8f2a\u30fb\u30d1\u30e9\u30ea\u30f3\u30d4\u30c3\u30af\u7d44\u7e54\u59d4\u54e1\u4f1a\u4f1a\u9577\u306e\u68ee\u5143\u9996\u76f8
\nPhoto By \u5171\u540c
\nhttp:\/\/www.sponichi.co.jp\/sports\/news\/2014\/02\/20\/kiji\/K20140220007629530.html<\/a>
\n[ 2014\u5e742\u670820\u65e5 17:05 ]<\/p>\n

\u6771\u4eac\u4e94\u8f2a\u30fb\u30d1\u30e9\u30ea\u30f3\u30d4\u30c3\u30af\u7d44\u7e54\u59d4\u54e1\u4f1a\u4f1a\u9577\u306e\u68ee\u559c\u6717\u5143\u9996\u76f8\u306f\uff12\uff10\u65e5\u3001\u798f\u5ca1\u5e02\u3067\u306e\u8b1b\u6f14\u3067\u3001\u30bd\u30c1\u4e94\u8f2a\u30fb\u30d5\u30a3\u30ae\u30e5\u30a2\u30b9\u30b1\u30fc\u30c8\u56e3\u4f53\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u300c\u8ca0\u3051\u308b\u3068\u5206\u304b\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3002\u6d45\u7530\u771f\u592e\u9078\u624b\u3092\u51fa\u3057\u3066\u6065\u3092\u304b\u304b\u305b\u308b\u3053\u3068\u306f\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u300d\u3068\u8ff0\u3079\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u307e\u305f\u3001\u30d5\u30a3\u30ae\u30e5\u30a2\u30b9\u30b1\u30fc\u30c8\u30fb\u30a2\u30a4\u30b9\u30c0\u30f3\u30b9\u306e\u30ad\u30e3\u30b7\u30fc\u30fb\u30ea\u30fc\u30c9\u3001\u30af\u30ea\u30b9\u30fb\u30ea\u30fc\u30c9\u7d44\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u300c\u7c73\u56fd\u306b\u4f4f\u3093\u3067\u3044\u308b\u3002\uff08\u7c73\u56fd\u4ee3\u8868\u3068\u3057\u3066\uff09\u4e94\u8f2a\u51fa\u5834\u306e\u5b9f\u529b\u306f\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u304c\u3001\u5e30\u5316\u3055\u305b\u3066\u65e5\u672c\u9078\u624b\u56e3\u3068\u3057\u3066\u51fa\u3057\u305f\u300d\u3068\u8a9e\u3063\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u6d45\u7530\u304c\u56e3\u4f53\u3067\u30c8\u30ea\u30d7\u30eb\u30a2\u30af\u30bb\u30eb\uff08\uff13\u56de\u8ee2\u534a\u30b8\u30e3\u30f3\u30d7\uff09\u3092\u6210\u529f\u3055\u305b\u308c\u3070\u3001\u30a2\u30a4\u30b9\u30c0\u30f3\u30b9\u306e\u52a3\u52e2\u3092\u76db\u308a\u8fd4\u3057\u3001\u9285\u30e1\u30c0\u30eb\u3092\u7372\u5f97\u3067\u304d\u308b\u3068\u306e\u671f\u5f85\u304c\u65e5\u672c\u30c1\u30fc\u30e0\u306b\u3042\u3063\u305f\u3068\u306e\u898b\u65b9\u3092\u5f37\u8abf\u3002\u300c\uff08\u56e3\u4f53\u6226\u3067\uff09\u8ee2\u3093\u3060\u5fc3\u306e\u50b7\u304c\u6b8b\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b\u304b\u3089\uff08\uff33\uff30\u3067\uff09\u8ee2\u3093\u3067\u306f\u3044\u3051\u306a\u3044\u3068\u306e\u6c17\u6301\u3061\u304c\u5f37\u304f\u51fa\u305f\u306e\u3060\u308d\u3046\u300d\u3068\u306e\u540c\u60c5\u3082\u793a\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d<\/p>\n

\u68ee\u5143\u9996\u76f8\u306e\u771f\u592e\u3089\u3078\u306e\u767a\u8a00\u8981\u65e8
\n\u65e5\u520a\u30b9\u30dd\u30fc\u30c4\u3000\uff3b2014\u5e742\u670820\u65e519\u664220\u5206\uff3d
\nhttp:\/\/www.nikkansports.com\/general\/news\/f-gn-tp0-20140220-1260348.html<\/a><\/p>\n

\u68ee\u559c\u6717\u5143\u9996\u76f8\u306f\uff12\uff10\u65e5\u3001\u798f\u5ca1\u5e02\u3067\u306e\u8b1b\u6f14\u3067\u3001\u30bd\u30c1\u4e94\u8f2a\u30d5\u30a3\u30ae\u30e5\u30a2\u30b9\u30b1\u30fc\u30c8\u56e3\u4f53\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u300c\u8ca0\u3051\u308b\u3068\u5206\u304b\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3002\u6d45\u7530\u771f\u592e\u9078\u624b\u3092\u51fa\u3057\u3066\u6065\u3092\u304b\u304b\u305b\u308b\u3053\u3068\u306f\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u300d\u3068\u8ff0\u3079\u305f\u3002\u3055\u3089\u306b\u5973\u5b50\u30b7\u30e7\u30fc\u30c8\u30d7\u30ed\u30b0\u30e9\u30e0\uff08\uff33\uff30\uff09\u3067\uff11\uff16\u4f4d\u3060\u3063\u305f\u6d45\u7530\u9078\u624b\u3092\u300c\u898b\u4e8b\u306b\u3072\u3063\u304f\u308a\u8fd4\u3063\u305f\u3002\u3042\u306e\u5b50\u3001\u5927\u4e8b\u306a\u3068\u304d\u306b\u306f\u5fc5\u305a\u8ee2\u3076\u300d\u306a\u3069\u3068\u8a55\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u68ee\u559c\u6717\u5143\u9996\u76f8\u306e\u8b1b\u6f14\u3067\u306e\u30d5\u30a3\u30ae\u30e5\u30a2\u30b9\u30b1\u30fc\u30c8\u306b\u95a2\u3059\u308b\u767a\u8a00\u8981\u65e8\u306f\u6b21\u306e\u901a\u308a\u3002<\/p>\n

\u9811\u5f35\u3063\u3066\u304f\u308c\u3068\u898b\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3051\u3069\uff08\u6d45\u7530\uff09\u771f\u592e\u3061\u3083\u3093\u3001\uff08\u30b7\u30e7\u30fc\u30c8\u30d7\u30ed\u30b0\u30e9\u30e0\u3067\uff09\u898b\u4e8b\u306b\u3072\u3063\u304f\u308a\u8fd4\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u3042\u306e\u5b50\u3001\u5927\u4e8b\u306a\u3068\u304d\u306b\u306f\u5fc5\u305a\u8ee2\u3076\u3093\u3067\u3059\u306d\u3002<\/p>\n

\u65e5\u672c\u306f\u56e3\u4f53\u6226\u306b\u51fa\u306a\u3051\u308c\u3070\u3088\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3002\u30a2\u30a4\u30b9\u30c0\u30f3\u30b9\u306f\u65e5\u672c\u306b\u3067\u304d\u308b\u4eba\u304c\u3044\u306a\u3044\u3002\uff08\u30ad\u30e3\u30b7\u30fc\u30fb\u30ea\u30fc\u30c9\u3001\u30af\u30ea\u30b9\u30fb\u30ea\u30fc\u30c9\u306e\uff09\u304d\u3087\u3046\u3060\u3044\u306f\u30a2\u30e1\u30ea\u30ab\u306b\u4f4f\u3093\u3067\u3044\u308b\u3093\u3067\u3059\u3088\u3002\uff08\u7c73\u56fd\u4ee3\u8868\u3068\u3057\u3066\uff09\u30aa\u30ea\u30f3\u30d4\u30c3\u30af\u306b\u51fa\u308b\u5b9f\u529b\u304c\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u304b\u3089\u3001\u5e30\u5316\u3055\u305b\u3066\u65e5\u672c\u306e\u9078\u624b\u56e3\u3068\u3057\u3066\u51fa\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3002<\/p>\n

\u6d45\u7530\u3055\u3093\u304c\uff08\u56e3\u4f53\u6226\u306b\uff09\u51fa\u308c\u3070\u3001\uff13\u56de\u8ee2\u534a\u3092\u3067\u304d\u308b\u5973\u6027\u306f\u3044\u306a\u3044\u304b\u3089\u3001\u6210\u529f\u3059\u308c\u3070\uff13\u4f4d\u306b\u306a\u308c\u308b\u304b\u3082\u3068\u306e\u6de1\u3044\u6c17\u6301\u3061\u3067\u51fa\u3057\u305f\u3002\u305d\u308c\u3067\u3001\u898b\u4e8b\u306b\u3072\u3063\u304f\u308a\u8fd4\u3063\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3063\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u305d\u306e\u50b7\u304c\u6b8b\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3068\u3059\u308c\u3070\u3001\u3082\u306e\u3059\u3054\u304f\u304b\u308f\u3044\u305d\u3046\u306a\u8a71\u3002\u8ca0\u3051\u308b\u3068\u5206\u304b\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b\u56e3\u4f53\u6226\u306b\u3001\u6d45\u7530\u3055\u3093\u3092\u51fa\u3057\u3066\u6065\u3092\u304b\u304b\u305b\u308b\u3053\u3068\u306f\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u8ee2\u3093\u3060\u5fc3\u306e\u50b7\u304c\u6b8b\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b\u304b\u3089\u3001\u81ea\u5206\u306e\u672c\u756a\u306e\u6642\u306b\u306f\u3001\u4f55\u3068\u3057\u3066\u3082\u8ee2\u3093\u3067\u306f\u3044\u3051\u306a\u3044\u3068\u306e\u6c17\u6301\u3061\u304c\u5f37\u304f\u51fa\u305f\u306e\u3060\u3068\u601d\u3044\u307e\u3059\u306d\u3002\u52e2\u3044\u304c\u5f37\u3059\u304e\u3066\u8ee2\u3093\u3067\u3057\u307e\u3044\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\uff08\u5171\u540c\uff09<\/p>\n

\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d<\/p>\n

See also http:\/\/sankei.jp.msn.com\/smp\/sochi2014\/news\/140220\/soc14022019180058-s.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/<\/p>\n

Japan Sports Pressure and Shortened Lifespans<\/span><\/p>\n

(forwarding, courtesy of the author–Arudou Debito)<\/em><\/p>\n

This Mainichi article, based on a piece that appeared in Flash four years\u00a0ago, is about the sad fate that seems to befall Japan’s Olympic athletes. I\u00a0thought I’d recycle it today. Mark<\/em><\/p>\n

Star-studded sportsmen speed swim the Styx
\n<\/b>Flash, 10\/31\/2000<\/strong>
\n By Mark Schreiber (translated by the author)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Researchers have announced findings that compared with ordinary\u00a0people, their lives are shortened by six years, asserts Kunihiko\u00a0Kato, an assistant at Tokyo University’s department of physical\u00a0science.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

To whom is Kato referring? Chain smokers? Heavy boozers? People\u00a0who live in houses under high-tension power lines, or those who\u00a0refuse to pay protection to gangsters?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Indeed, what activity is scientifically recognized as being so\u00a0hazardous, it threatens to send otherwise robust citizens of the<\/em>\u00a0world’s longest-lived nation to an early grave?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The answer, reports Flash, is to earn a place on the Japanese<\/em>\u00a0Olympic team. Or perhaps even worse, to win a medal.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tragic examples are legion. Take Masatoshi Nekota, a member of<\/em>\u00a0the volleyball gold medalist at the 1972 Munich Olympics, who<\/em>\u00a0succumbed to cancer at age 39. Or three other outstanding athletes,\u00a0who also died in their 39th year: 1968 Mexico City men’s gymnast and\u00a0bronze-medal winner Takeshi Kato, a cancer victim; steeplechase\u00a0runner (Mexico) Takeshi Endo, who died of heart failure; and broad\u00a0jumper Hiroomi Yamada (Mexico), who suffered a fatal stroke.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sports glory and public acclaim failed to bring any peace of mind<\/em>\u00a0to marathon runner Kokichi Tsuburaya, who took the bronze medal at\u00a0Tokyo in 1964. Psychologically tormented when injury forced him to\u00a0miss the games four years later, he committed suicide. The note he\u00a0left read, simply, “Cannot run any more.” He was 27.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Just at Japan Steel Corporation, where I was employed, seven<\/em>\u00a0former olympians have already passed away,” marathon silver medalist\u00a0Kenji Kimihara (Mexico) tells Flash. “Overall, I’d say about 30 or\u00a0so have died.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Kimihara, now 60, is particularly saddened when recalling those<\/em>\u00a0who perished by their own hand. In addition to fellow marathoner\u00a0Tsuburaya, these include swimmer Ryoko Urakami and 80 meter hurdler\u00a0Ikuko Yoda.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Everyone showed them respect, but they felt stigmatized by the<\/em>\u00a0title “olympic team member” attached to everything they did<\/em>\u00a0subsequently,” sighs Kimihara. “I suppose it just became too much of\u00a0a burden.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

But while mental pressures took a toll on Japan’s olympians, the<\/em>\u00a0sheer physical abuse can’t be disregarded either.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“After driving myself so hard during my teens, I wanted to just<\/em>\u00a0go back to being a normal person,” recalls Mexico City weight lifting\u00a0silver medalist Masaru Ouchi, now 57. “But I’m a physical wreck.\u00a0When I reached my forties, I felt like I was already sixty.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tokyo University’s Kato is convinced scientific data contradicts<\/em>\u00a0the general image of olympians and professional athletes as superb\u00a0physical specimens. “Intense activity causes stress to build up, and\u00a0excessive secretion of Corticotropin releasing hormone result in\u00a0lowered immunity. Resistance to disease declines. There’s a greater\u00a0likelihood of developing cancer.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Exercise causes oxygen consumption to increase, generating a<\/em>\u00a0toxic substance called free radicals that are harmful to the body,”<\/em>\u00a0Kato adds.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

One side effect of too much activity may be osteoporosis. Citing<\/em>\u00a0data on 13 female long-distance runners, Kato notes that the average\u00a0bone density of eight was 90 percent or below the normal values, and\u00a0four had bone density levels equivalent to women in their seventies.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“We believe this was caused by the intense training, which<\/em>\u00a0lowered the volume of fat in their bodies, causing loss of calcium<\/em>\u00a0because they did not secrete sufficient female hormones.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Upholding Japan’s national honor was a heavy burden for those<\/em>\u00a0olympic athletes in the past,” says Kimihara. “When today’s athletes\u00a0feel pressured, I’d like to see them channel their stress into\u00a0constructive outlets.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

With so many depressing stories, Flash wonders, will “Q chan”<\/em>\u00a0— petite and personable Sydney marathon winner Naoko Takahashi —\u00a0be all right?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

FORWARDED ARTICLE ENDS<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aaand, the inevitable has happened: Japan’s apparently underperforming athletes (particularly its ice skaters) have invited criticism from Japan’s elite. Tokyo 2020 Chair Mori Yoshiro, one of Japan’s biggest gaffemeisters when he served an abysmal stint as Prime Minister, decided to shoot his mouth off about champion skater Asada Mao’s propensity to choke under pressure. But more importantly, as far as Debito.org is concerned, about how the American-Japanese skating siblings Cathy and Chris Reed’s racial background has negatively affected their performance:<\/p>\n

“They live in America,” Mori said. “Although they are not good enough for the U.S. team in the Olympics, we included these naturalized citizens on the team.”<\/p>\n

Oh. But wait. They’re not naturalized. They always had Japanese citizenship, since their mother is Japanese. And how about Japan’s other athletes that also train if not live overseas (such as Gold Medalist Skater Hanyu Yuzuru, who now hails from Toronto)? Oh, but he won, so that’s okay. He’s a real pureblooded Japanese with the requisite yamato damashi.<\/p>\n

In fact, the existence of people like Mori are exactly the reason why Japan’s athletes choke. As I’ve written before, they put so much pressure and expectation on them to perform perfectly as national representatives, not as individuals trying to achieve their personal best, so if they don’t medal (or worse yet, don’t Gold), they are a national shame. It’s a very high-stakes game for Japan’s international athletes, and this much pressure is counterproductive for Japan: It in fact shortens their lives not only as competitors, but as human beings (see article by Mark Schreiber after the Japanese articles).<\/p>\n

Fortunately, this has not escaped the world media’s glance. As CBS News put it: “Hurray for the Olympic spirit! You seem like a perfectly sensible choice to head a billion-dollar effort to welcome the world to Tokyo, Mr. Mori!” But expect more of this, for this is how “sporting spirit” is hard-wired in Japan. Because these types of people (especially their invisible counterparts in the media and internet) are not only unaccountable, they’re devoid of any self-awareness or empathy. If they think they can do better, as one brash Japanese Olympic swimmer once said, why don’t they try doing it themselves? Then she was taken off the team, never to return.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,52,12,26,13,11,17,53,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cultural-issue","category-hate-speech","category-immigration-assimilation","category-ironies-hypocrisies","category-media","category-problematic-foreign-treatment","category-sport","category-unsustainable-japanese-society","category-8"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12130\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}