Japanese musician Keigo Oyamada has stepped down as a composer for the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony after old reports of his bullying and abusive behaviour resurfaced, days before the pandemic-hit Olympics is due to officially start.
Oyamada, who had been tasked with composing the music for the ceremony slated for July 23, has come under fire in recent weeks after past issues of the magazines began circulating online.
Oyamada told Quick Japan magazine published in 1995 how he had confined a classmate in a cardboard box and made fun of a student with disabilities, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported last week. He also described bullying a classmate in another magazine published in the mid-1990s, the paper said.
Some media accounts of the interviews contain references to degrading and abusive treatment, including Oyamada forcing another child or children to eat faeces or to masturbate. Reuters could not independently verify the interviews, although alleged photos of the magazine pages have circulated widely on social media.
“As for my participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, I acutely feel that my having accepted the request was lacking consideration for various people,” Oyamada said on his Twitter page.
“I made arrangements with relevant parties and submitted my resignation to the organising committee.”
