Who is directing closing ceremony

Kentaro Kobayashi, responsible for the opening and closing ceremonies, is the latest senior figure to resign or be dismissed by the Tokyo Olympic Organising Committee after footage emerged of the comedian joking about the Holocaust in Credit: AP.

Tokyo president Seiko Hashimoto said she learnt of the comments on Wednesday morning, less than 72 hours out from the opening ceremony, which is set to be watched by billions of viewers around the world.

Tokyo organisers had hoped the Games would fuel cultural change in Japan but the series of controversies have thrown the spotlight on the views and actions of some of its leaders. We want to make society more accessible and easier for all.

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The center, citing Japanese news reports, said one of Kobayashi's jokes included the phrase "let's play Holocaust. Kobayashi's dismissal is the latest in a string of embarrassing moments for the organizing committee, and particularly its opening ceremony team. Keigo Oyamada, a Japanese composer, resigned from the Tokyo creative team earlier this week amid backlash for bullying a classmate with disabilities during his childhood.

And a previous creative director for the opening ceremony, Hiroshi Sasaki, resigned in March amid revelations that he had made sexist remarks about a well-known female entertainer in Japan , likening her in a brainstorming session to a pig.

The former president of the organizing committee, Yoshiro Mori, also resigned earlier this year after making sexist remarks about women. Organizers said Thursday that the crowd on hand at the opening ceremony will be limited to about people, including VIPs, government officials and foreign dignitaries.

First Lady Jill Biden will be there as the head of the U.