Japanese comedians say sorry for ‘bleach’ quip at Naomi Osaka

The duo - whose members call themselves “Kano” and “Murakami” - issued an apology, saying that they had been “ignorant” and “hurtful”

Naomi Osaka

A Japanese comedy duo apologised after reportedly quipping that tennis star Naomi Osaka, of Japanese and Haitian heritage, needed to pick up some “bleach”.

The relatively unknown female comedy pairing “A Masso” and their management firm released the apology on Tuesday after a skit referring to the young tennis star made news.

The pair reportedly suggested Osaka needed “bleach” and said the 21-year-old former world number one was “too sunburned”, during a live performance on Sunday.

The duo - whose members call themselves “Kano” and “Murakami” - issued an apology, saying that they had been “ignorant” and “hurtful.”

“We apologise for our failure to supervise A Masso who made remarks that entirely lacked consideration,” their management firm Watanabe Entertainment added in a statement.

Osaka is a household name in Japan, where her every move is followed feverishly by local media, particularly when she is in the country of her mother’s birth.

She is the face of several leading Japanese brands, including the carrier ANA.