Kato condemns bullying as composer steps down

A Japanese composer working on the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony quit after coming under fire for bullying classmates during his childhood.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato urged the organising committee to handle the issue appropriately at a regular briefing on Tuesday, as the opening ceremony is fast approaching.

Reports of Keigo Oyamada's past abuse of a child with disabilities surfaced online recently, sparking a backlash on social media and demands for Oyamada's resignation.

Tokyo Games organisers previously said he would stay on because he had shown remorse but have changed their stance.

"Regardless whether handicapped or not, bullying and abuse are not acceptable" said Kato.

Separately, Kato said Japanese companies have been targeted by cyberattacks that could be associated with the Chinese government.

"The government of Japan considers it to be a matter of strong concern from the national security viewpoint," Kato said.

The Biden administration and Western allies formally blamed China on Monday for a massive hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software and asserted that criminal hackers associated with the Chinese government have carried out a ransomware attack and other illicit cyber operations.