Taro Kono, the Minister of Administrative Reform in charge of Japan, mentioned the possibility of canceling the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games through an interview with foreign media. Controversy is expected as the Japanese government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have repeatedly revealed their will to hold the Olympics this summer, while about 70-80% of Japanese public opinion is negative about hosting the Olympics this summer due to the re-proliferation of Corona 19.
In an interview with Reuters on the 14th, Kono said, “At this point, we need to do our best to prepare for the tournament, but this (Olympic) can go either way.” Japan’s Kyodo News Agency reported on the 16th that citing Reuters, Minister Kono mentioned the possibility of canceling the Tokyo Olympics for the first time among Japanese ministers.
The Tokyo Olympics were scheduled to be held in July of last year, but it was postponed for one year to July this year due to the spread of Corona 19 worldwide. However, after last month, as the Corona 19 spread again and emergencies were declared in 11 regions, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, the situation became serious, and Japanese public opinion about the hosting of the Olympics has deteriorated.
In a poll by Kyoto News on the 9th to 10th, 35.3% of respondents said they should stop (cancel) the Tokyo Olympics and the Paralympic Games, and 44.8% said they should postpone. Eight out of 10 people expressed their opinion of opposing the hosting of the July Olympics. In a recent NHK poll, only 16% said that the’Tokyo Olympics should be held’. 38% of respondents said that they should stop holding the event, and 39% said they should re-act.
Despite this public opinion, the Japanese government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are showing their will to host the Olympics. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said about the Tokyo Olympics on the 7th, when an emergency was declared in Tokyo, etc., saying, “We are committed to realizing a safe and secure tournament by making every effort to prevent infection.”
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