Two cynical artists from Japan and the company running their business apologized after saying during a live show that Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, who won the Pan Pacific Championship title at the weekend, "needs a skin lightening cream."
Japanese media reported that the sarcastic phrase from the famous duo "A Maso" was received during Sunday's show, the same day that Osaka achieved its first titles since winning the Australian Open in January.
The satirical duo also said the sun had hit Osaka "with severe burns".
In a separate message on its website, Watanabe Entertainment, which runs its business, said the satirical duo had apologized for "inappropriate comments that might hurt some." But she did not mention Osaka, a Japanese player of Haitian origin.
"We should have thought about it," she wrote. "The comment injured many people, something we will never do again."
"We apologize very much for any wounds we have caused to a particular person and to everyone associated with them. We also apologize for the problems we have caused."
Watanabe Entertainment also apologized, without mentioning Osaka. "We apologize for comments that violated the principle of diversity in an era that respects this," she said. She noted that she had warned the satirical duo not to repeat the matter, and will take measures to increase their awareness in this regard.
Osaka, who turns 22 next month, was born in Japan from a Haitian father and a Japanese mother, but moved to the United States as a child.