Yuri Kawaguchi, a 29-year-old news anchor and lecturer based in Tokyo, has been dismissed from her positions and faced significant online backlash following a controversial social media post criticising men's hygiene habits. Kawaguchi's remarks, which were shared on X (formerly Twitter), ignited a firestorm of criticism, leading to the termination of her employment and widespread public scrutiny. In her now-deleted X post, Kawaguchi expressed her frustrations with what she described as "the smell of men in the summer" and body odour associated with unsanitary individuals.
Her comments read: "I'm really sorry if there's a personal situation, but the smell of men in the summer or the body odour of unsanitary people is so uncomfortable." Kawaguchi elaborated further, stating, "I want to be clean, so I take several showers a day, use freshening wipes, and apply sweat inhibitors year-round. I think more men should do this.
" Her statements quickly gained traction online, leading to widespread backlash. The response to Kawaguchi's post was swift and severe. Many users accused her of targeting men and perpetuating gender discrimination.
Critics argued that hygiene issues are not exclusive to men, and that her remarks were both offensive and discriminatory. One user commented, "Only blaming men is infuriating and undoubtedly discrimination. Women, especially older women, can have body odour too.
I'm really uncomfortable with this." The controversy intensified as details of Kawaguchi's.