TOKYO: Hiroshi Sasaki, creative director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, has resigned over his derogatory remarks against a popular female entertainer, Seiko Hashimoto, president of the organizing committee of the games, said Thursday.

“The remarks were very inappropriate and regrettable,” Hashimoto said at a press conference. The organizing committee accepted his resignation as it pushes for gender equality, she said, apologizing for Sasaki’s remarks.

The resignation of Sasaki, 66, came after a weekly magazine reported Wednesday online that he made a suggestion on March 5 last year that insults the 33-year-old entertainer and plus-size fashion icon, Naomi Watanabe.

The idea would be to have Watanabe dress up as an “Olympig” during the opening ceremony, according to the magazine and a letter of apology from Sasaki released by the organizing committee.

He retracted the idea in response to backlash from his staff. In his letter, Sasaki said, “I can’t apologize enough to Watanabe.”

Sasaki directed a stage to promote the Tokyo Olympics during the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics in which then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dressed as Super Mario.

In December last year, Sasaki was named to oversee the Tokyo Games opening and closing ceremonies after the organizing committee disbanded a planning team led by kyogen actor Nomura Mansai.

In February this year, Hashimoto took the helm at the organizing committee after her predecessor, Yoshiro Mori, resigned over derogatory remarks against women.

JIJI Press