Japanese TV anchor fired over tweet criticising men's body odour: 'use deodorant'

A Tokyo-based television news anchor was fired from her job following a controversial post on X (formerly Twitter), where she criticised men’s hygiene habits. Yuri Kawaguchi, a 29-year-old freelance announcer and a known advocate for feminist causes, faced severe backlash for her remarks, which many perceived as discriminatory against men.

On August 8, Kawaguchi, who also works as a lecturer on harassment prevention, took to her X account, where she has a following of around 13,300, to express her frustration with men’s body odour during the sweltering summer months. “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, advising men to shower more frequently and use deodorant.

While some saw her post as an honest expression of discomfort, others were quick to accuse Kawaguchi 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 user commented.

As the controversy gained momentum, critics dug into Kawaguchi’s personal life, scrutinising her past, including her divorce. She was harshly labelled as a “materialistic woman out of touch with the struggles of ordinary people.”

Faced with mounting criticism, Kawaguchi issued a public apology on August 11 and removed the post. “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, her apology did little to quell the uproar. VOICE, the agency that managed Kawaguchi, announced on August 16 that it was terminating her contract, citing “defamation of the honour of the opposite sex” as the reason. In their statement, VOICE highlighted that they had received numerous complaints and emails, and stressed that it was against their principles for a professional to use language that harms others and causes discomfort.