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The Tokyo Olympics is facing mass opposition with a new survey finding that 72 per cent of Japanese citizens want the Games to be cancelled or delayed as rising coronavirus infections continue to grip the country.
The Olympics is scheduled to begin in just 100 days’ time, but there are fears in Japan of a fourth coronavirus wave after the capital and several other cities were placed under tighter restrictions for a least a month due to a surge in cases.
Concerns have also been raised about Japan’s sluggish national vaccination drive, with most people in the capital still not inoculated while just over one million people in the country, or less than 1 per cent of the population, have received the first of two vaccine doses.
A new poll found that 72 per cent of Japanese citizens want the Olympics to be cancelled or delayed (Demonstrators pictured during a protest against the Tokyo Olympics)
Tokyo 2020 organisers are still struggling to win public support just 100 days out from Games
A new poll conducted by Japanese news agency Kyodo News revealed that 39.2 per cent of respondents want the Games to be scrapped while 32.8 per cent are in favour of another delay.
The poll also found that just 24.5 per cent of people who took part in the survey, which was carried out from April 10 to 12, wanted the Olympics and Paralympics to go ahead as scheduled.
The results of the poll come days after 3,452 Covid-19 infections and 37 deaths were reported in Japan.
According to Japan Today, Tokyo registered 510 new cases of coronavirus on Monday – an increase of 204 from the previous day.
The host city of the Games has seen a surge of new cases and more contagious variants since the state of emergency was lifted there three weeks ago, which has prompted the Japanese government to take action by raising the Covid alert level in Tokyo and enforcing new ‘quasi-emergency’ measures.
Members of an environmental group wearing mock hazmat suits perform during a protest against Tokyo Olympics near the Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea
Demonstrators protest against the Tokyo Olympics outside the building of the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
The new rules will last until May 11 at the earliest and will see bars and restaurants ordered to close at 8pm and the public urged to avoid non-essential travel outside of the city.
Tougher Covid-19 measures have also been imposed in Kyoto and Okinawa while Osaka has declared a medical emergency after its hospitals became overwhelmed with new cases and had to have this week’s Olympic torch relay there moved off public roads.
Public support for the Olympics to be delayed or cancelled now appears to be growing with demonstrators protesting outside the Tokyo Organising Committee and the Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea in recent weeks amid fears about rising cases.
However, the International Olympic Committee hopes the mood will shift when people realise how much emphasis has been placed on minimising the risk of Covid-19 infections.
John Coates, the IOC’s chief coordinator for Tokyo, also said stories of Japan’s sporting success, such as Hideki Matsuyama’s Masters triumph on Sunday, would boost support for the Games, which were postponed by a year due to the pandemic.
Results from Japanese news agency Kyodo News’ poll is latest blow to Tokyo 2020 organisers
Coates said in a media conference call that there was still time to get the public to back the Olympics and that overcoming a negative perception of the Games was nothing new for the IOC.
‘Once these stories start coming out to the public I am very confident public opinion will turn,’ Coates said. ‘Sydney (2000 Olympics) was not looking too good before but once we got to 100 days it turned.’
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said at a ceremony marking 100 days to go on Wednesday that the fight against ‘an invisible enemy’ had been a major ordeal for humanity but that she was determined to make the event a success.
Despite their optimism, organisers have faced a tough few weeks, having been forced to cancel a water polo test event and seeing Olympic qualifiers for diving and artistic swimming that were to double as test events this month and next canned by the International Swimming Federation.
With just over three months to go before the opening ceremony, organisers face a deluge of challenges, with local public support for the Olympics one of their biggest ones.
Japan are facing a backlash after considering pushing athletes to the front of vaccine queue
Some experts are concerned Tokyo is on the cusp of an ‘explosive’ jump in Covid-19 cases, but Coates has fundamentally ruled out cancelling the Games.
‘Definitely not. I know Japanese organisers are not considering cancellation,’ he said.
‘We continue to receive the fullest support. All of the plans are in a worst case situation and we hope to influence public opinion through safety measures.’
The recent Kyodo News poll suggests they’ll have their work cut out with 92.6 per cent of respondents feeling anxious about the resurgence of cases while 60 per cent of people have been dissatisfied with Japan’s vaccination rollout.
Inoculations first started in mid-February for medical workers.
Elderly people are scheduled to get their shots starting this week through until late June.
The rest of the population is likely to have to wait until about July, making it almost impossible for Japan to reach so-called herd immunity before the Tokyo Olympics begin on July 23.
Chief cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato (above) attempted to play down the reports
Japan also faced another public backlash regarding this summer’s Tokyo Olympics after it emerged that they were considering pushing their athletes to the front of the vaccine queue.
Local media claimed last week that Japanese athletes could start receiving their jabs by the end of June – before all of the elderly and vulnerable had been inoculated.
Chief cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato attempted to play down the reports but did admit the Japanese government would be ‘closely watching discussions on athletes’ health issues’.
Vaccination is not mandatory for athletes for the Olympics but the International Olympic Committee want as many to be jabbed as possible.
As things stand, Team GB athletes will only receive their jabs in line with the Government’s rollout.
Team GB athletes will only receive their jabs in line with the Government’s vaccine rollout
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