A Japanese mayor has come under fire online after saying men should do grocery shopping amid coronavirus pandemic as women take too long and contribute to overcrowding at stores.
Speaking at a press conference in Osaka on April 23, Mayor Ichiro Matsui said, according to CNN: “Women take a longer time grocery shopping because they browse through different products and weigh out which option is best.
“Men quickly grab what they’re told to buy so they won’t linger at the supermarket – that avoids close contact with others.”
The mayor’s remarks drew criticism from social media, where Japanese journalist Shoko Egawa took to Twitter and argued that ‘people who know nothing about daily life shouldn’t make comments.’
Egawa’s post on Twitter has since gained over 1,300 retweets and 3,400 likes, with many social media users commenting to agree with the journalist’s sentiment.
Another person wrote on Twitter: “When I hear remarks like this… I feel the need for people with diverse backgrounds to participate in politics.”
A third said: “Japan is a country where these words come calmly out of a mayor’s mouth. Deplorable.”
The mayor also said residents should limit their trips to supermarkets and suggested those born in months with an even numbered months must only go on even dates while people born in uneven numbered months should go on uneven dates.
Women account for 51 percent of the Japanese population, according to the data of World Bank. But according to the World Economic Forum’s index measuring the degree of gender equality, Japan is ranked 110th of 149 countries.
As of April 27, there are 13,441 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Japan and 372 fatalities.
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