Photo/Illutration Seiko Hashimoto prepares for a news conference on Feb. 18 after she was chosen as the new president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee. Toshiro Muto, the committee CEO and director-general, is on the left. (Pool)

Officials insisted that “transparency” was achieved in selecting Seiko Hashimoto as the new president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee through closed-door meetings attended by people whose names were kept secret.

Concerns about a transparent process in choosing the successor to Yoshiro Mori, 83, were raised because the former prime minister tried to handpick his replacement on Feb. 11 after he decided to step down over the uproar sparked by his sexist remarks.

Mori’s choice bowed out after additional criticism erupted over the behind-the-scenes move.

Officials in the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee pledged that the process for choosing a new president would be much more open.

But the names of the candidate selection committee members were not divulged beforehand, and the committee meetings were held behind closed doors.

Concerns were expressed that identifying the committee members would result in them being hounded by reporters wanting constant updates about who might take over from Mori.

After Hashimoto, 56, was formally named the new president on Feb. 18, Fujio Mitarai, the honorary president of the organizing committee who chaired the candidate selection committee, held a news conference to explain the process.

He was the only person on the selection committee whose identity was known beforehand.

“I do not believe transparency was hurt in any way,” Mitarai said. “President Hashimoto was chosen in an open and highly transparent manner.”

At the same news conference, organizing committee officials finally revealed the names of the eight committee members and a summary of the three committee meetings held to pick their nominee.

Their recommendation was submitted to executive board members of the organizing committee who cast the final vote.

Mitarai explained that six of the eight committee members backed Hashimoto.

“Discussions became very animated because of the eagerness with which many of the members praised Hashimoto,” he said.

Eight other individuals had also been considered, but, according to sources, their names were not divulged to the executive board members or at the news conference after Hashimoto was voted in.

Mitarai explained that the names of the eight could not be revealed because none had offered to take the post. He also said there was a need to consider their rights because, in a sense, they were all found to be wanting in comparison to Hashimoto.

According to documents distributed to media representatives about the selection process, the committee first agreed on five standards required of the new president. Those were: a detailed understanding of the Olympics, Paralympics and sports in general; a capability to realize the principles of the Olympic Charter and Tokyo Olympics regarding gender equality so that they become a legacy of the Games; international experience and name recognition; an understanding of the preparations made so far for the Tokyo Olympics; and the capability of coordinating among a wide range of relevant officials as well as managing the organizing committee.

At the second committee meeting on Feb. 17, a consensus settled on Hashimoto, an Olympic medalist, after members agreed that the new president should be someone all athletes would willingly follow.

At the first meeting of executive board members on Feb. 18, one participant asked that the selection process be revealed to demonstrate that transparency had been secured. But no other objections were raised.

Another participant said the vote for Hashimoto was unanimous.

Yasuhiro Yamashita, the Japanese Olympic Committee president who was one of the eight members of the candidate selection committee, said he had no problem with the closed-door meetings.

“In order to allow each member to speak freely based on their own beliefs, there was a need to protect them from pressure from the outside,” Yamashita said. “I believe it was more important to create an opportunity to speak in a frank manner rather than heighten transparency.”

(This article was written by Rihito Karube and Shuhei Nomura.)

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