Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Naoki Okada said on Thursday a comment made by Tokyo Olympics creative head Hiroshi Sasaki about a popular female Japanese entertainer was "totally inappropriate and should not have happened".
Sasaki, head creative director for the opening and closing ceremonies at this year's Games, said he had told a planning group through a group chat that Naomi Watanabe could play a role as an "Olympig".
Sasaki said he had told Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto late on Wednesday evening that he was stepping down.
(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
