Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto is cancelling his tour to the United States in the midst of the controversy over his remarks about sexual slaves known as Comfort Women, reports RTT.
Hashimoto said the tour would not benefit him at this time and would cause a burden on security in the U.S.
The outspoken Mayor caused an uproar when he suggested the kidnapping of thousands of women as sexual slaves for the Japanese military in World War II served a military necessity. He also recently apologized for remarks that if American military personnel in Okinawa utilized legalized brothels there, the rate of sex crimes would be reduced.
Just this week, a group of Filipino American veterans urged San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to rescind his invitation for Hashimoto to visit.
