A Japanese television news anchor was dismissed from her job and faced an online backlash after a controversial post in which she claimed that men’s body odour was “hard to endure”, and suggested they shower more often. Tokyo-based Yuri Kawaguchi, 29, is a freelance announcer known for her feminist views, who also works as a lecturer for harassment prevention training. On August 8, she took to X social networking platform, where she has about 13,000 followers, to voice her frustrations about men’s hygiene in summer, advising them to use deodorant and take showers to stay clean.
“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,” she wrote. “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.
” Kawaguchi’s post, perceived as specifically targeting men, deeply offended many and led to accusations of gender discrimination. “Only blaming men is infuriating and undoubtedly discrimination. Women, especially older women, can have body odour too.
I’m really uncomfortable with this,” one male netizen said. Her post also prompted scrutiny of her private life, including her divorce, with some further labelling her a “materialistic woman out of touch with the struggles of ordinary people.” As the controversy escalated, Kawaguchi issued a public apology and removed the post on August 11.
“This time, because of my careless remarks, many people were upset and hurt. I will deeply reflect on this. In the future, I will work hard not to hurt anyone with my remarks.
I am really sorry,” she said. However, the repercussions were severe. As the controversy grew, her agency, VOICE, decided to terminate her contract and cited “defamation of the honour of the opposite sex” as the reason.
In a statement released on August 16, VOICE said it had received numerous complaints and emails. They said it violates the company’s principles for a professional, who makes a living through language, to use it in a way that harms others and causes discomfort to many. Another company, which hired Kawaguchi as a lecturer for harassment prevention education, also terminated her contract.
However, their knee-jerk reactions were then criticised by Japanese netizens as “too extreme”, and even sparked a topic on X protesting over Kawaguchi’s dismissal. “A woman asks men to be tidy and maintain decorum, yet it triggers outrage. It just shows that Japan has been a male-dominated society for too long.
No matter how dirty men are, as soon as a woman complains, they punish her,” one person wrote. Chinese online observers have also overwhelmingly expressed their sympathy and understanding. “Those who criticised her are probably just smelly men themselves.
I’m a man, and I cannot stand the stench of other men – it’s just so gross,” one commenter noted. “If you’re not smelly, why would you feel offended by the post? If you’re clean, there’s nothing to defend,” another said. “Why are Japanese men so sensitive? They cannot handle a bit of criticism.
Women are expected to maintain beauty, cleanliness, and fitness without complaint, yet men face no such expectations. If that isn’t gender bias, then what is?” a third person asked..
