Thread by @gjmorley

Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony music leader under fire for past bullying - The Mainichi mainichi.jp/english/articl…

*Since this article is still vague, I am offering some details garnered from reporting in Japanese. Source links to articles follow.

1) Oyamada Keigo, an internationally renowned rock musician, was announced to be the composer of the Olympics opening ceremony this week. But it had been known that Oyamada had, as a high school student, routinely tortured mentally disabled classmates with his friends.

2) The abuse included forcing the mentally disabled person to eat feces, locking him up in a closet, forcing him to disrobe and masturbate in public, performing "backdrop" wrestling throws on him, etc.

3) Oyamada himself bragged about these abuses in detail during a long interview with an underground magazine. During the interview he also ridiculed the appearance of people with Down Syndrome, saying they "all look the same".

4) In the same interview, Oyamada also bragged about bullying an ethnic Korean classmate on racial grounds. Although the article dates back to the 1990s before the internet, many were taken aback that the Olympics Committee had not seemed to be bothered by Oyamada's past.

5) After a Twitter storm that lasted a day, Oyamada has made an apology but has also stated his resolve to fulfill his responsibilities and will not resign. His music for the opening ceremony will be played to the world, including Paralympians.

Source 1 - an article with excerpts from a past interview with Oyamada Keigo.

開会式作曲の小山田圭吾氏障がい者いじめ告白雑誌を入手　五輪理念に逆行(日刊スポーツ)
#Yahooニュース
news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/8b949…

Source 2 - another article with excerpts from Oyamada's past interview.

みんなでプロレス技かけちゃって／小山田圭吾氏の障がい者いじめ告白（日刊スポーツ） - goo ニュース news.goo.ne.jp/article/nikkan…

Source 3 - the public broadcaster NHK reported on Mr. Oyamada's apology for his past abuse. The Olympic Committee has stated its intention to keep Mr. Oyamada on board.

五輪開会式作曲担当 小山田圭吾さん “過去のいじめ告白”謝罪 | NHKニュース www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/2021…

Source 4 - Olympics Games CEO voices support for Mr. Keigo Oyamada, who apologized for his past abuse of mentally disabled people.

武藤事務総長、過去のいじめ告白した小山田圭吾さんについて「引き続き、貢献していただきたい」(スポーツ報知)
news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/52edb…

Telegraph article (paywall)
telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2021/…

Olympic composer apologizes for historic actions | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis : The Asahi Shimbun asahi.com/ajw/articles/1…

Olympics: Games opening ceremony composer apologises over school bullying str.sg/33U7

Tokyo 2020 composer apologises for historical bullying of disabled classmates theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul…

Japanese composer for Tokyo Olympics apologizes for abuse
apnews.com/article/sports… Mr. Oyamada it was guilt that had prevented him from coming forward before.

Additional background from February 2021.

Olympic chief shake-up in Tokyo casts light on wider sexism in Japanese sport washingtonpost.com/world/japan-mo…

From March 2021.

Tokyo Olympics Official Resigns After Calling Plus-Size Celebrity ‘Olympig’ nytimes.com/2021/03/18/wor…

Japan: Olympics Should Benefit Human Rights hrw.org/news/2021/07/1…

Tokyo 2020 composer apologizes for bullying disabled classmates nbcnews.com/news/olympics/… @NBCNews

Regarding the matter of Mr. Oyamada's past abuse, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato expressed his wish for the Olympic organizing committee to "respond appropriately".

小山田圭吾さんのいじめ加害　加藤官房長官「組織委員会で適切な対応を」：東京新聞
tokyo-np.co.jp/article/117711

Toyota Cancels Tokyo Olympics TV Ads, CEO Won’t Attend Opening Ceremony hollywoodreporter.com/business/busin… @THR

Tokyo Olympics composer to quit over bullying of children with disabilities english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/a…

Olympics-Composer for opening ceremony steps down over past bullying reut.rs/3ktntKW

Tokyo 2020 composer Oyamada quits after interview of bullying classmates resurfaces aninews.in/news/sports/ot…

Olympics Opening Ceremony Composer Steps Down And Apologizes For Bullying tinyurl.com/yh7wehwb

Olympic composer steps down for bullying disabled classmate abc15.com/sports/olympic…

Share on Twitter billboard.com/articles/news/… @billboard

IOC accepts Japanese musician Oyamada's resignation malaysiasun.com/news/270363626…