Japanese TV Anchor fired over tweet criticising men’s body odour

Body odour backlash: A Tokyo-based TV anchor, Yuri Kawaguchi, has been fired from her position following a controversial social media post criticising men’s body odour. The 29-year-old freelance announcer and feminist advocate faced backlash after her comments were perceived by many as discriminatory.

On August 8, Kawaguchi took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her discomfort with men’s body odour during the summer heat, urging them to shower more often and use deodorant.

“I apologise if this is a personal matter, but the smell of men in the summer and the body odour of those who are not clean is very unpleasant,” she tweeted.

Gender bias accusations

Her tweet offended many, followers accused her of gender bias. Critics argued that her post unfairly targeted men, while ignoring that women can also experience body odour. 

One male user commented, “Blaming only men is upsetting and discriminatory. Women, especially older ones, can have body odour too. This makes me uncomfortable.”

Kawaguchi's personal life, including her divorce, became a topic of criticism. She was labelled as a “materialistic woman disconnected from the everyday struggles of people.

この度は私の不用意な発言で不快にさせ、傷つけてしまった方が多くいたこと、大変反省しております。言葉を扱う仕事をしている者として未熟でした。
以後、言葉で誰かを傷つけてしまうことがないように精進してまいります。
本当に申し訳ございませんでした。

— 川口 ゆり yuri kawaguchi (@funifuniyuri)  

Public apology issued

In response to the backlash, Kawaguchi issued a public apology on August 11 and deleted the post. “I am deeply sorry for my thoughtless remarks which caused distress to many people. I will reflect on this deeply and strive to avoid hurting anyone with my words in the future,” she said.

The controversy continued, despite her apology. On August 16, VOICE, the agency managing Kawaguchi, announced her contract termination, citing “defamation of the opposite sex.” VOICE highlighted the numerous complaints they received and stressed their focus on upholding professional conduct that respects others.

Kawaguchi also lost her position as a harassment prevention lecturer, leading to criticism that her dismissal was overly severe.