The mayor of Osaka has come under fire after saying women take longer than men while shopping as he tried to promote social distancing to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui told reporters on Tuesday that women “take a long time as they browse around and hesitate about this and that” while grocery shopping, AFP reported, citing Japan’s Kyodo news agency. “Men can snap up things they are told (to buy) and go, so I think it’s good that they go shopping, avoiding human contact,” he added. When challenged by a reporter, Matsui, 56, acknowledged that his remarks might be viewed as out of touch, but said they were true in his family. The mayor of Osaka came under fire on social media on Friday after saying women take longer than men shopping for groceries as he tried to promote social distancing to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the city. Osaka has been under a state of emergency since April 7. Matsui’s comments came after he suggested supermarkets limit the number of people entering stores where possible, and recommended the public only shop for groceries once every two to three days.