[Yojeum Saram] Is the 'Tokyo Olympics' a Cursed Olympics?

Last year's poster for the "Anti-Peace, Anti-Environment 2020 Tokyo Olympics Response Forum" posted at the National Assembly Members' Office Building.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The Tokyo Olympics' hosting has become uncertain due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To make matters worse, the controversial remark calling it the "cursed Olympics" has sparked controversy, pouring cold water on the Japanese government's efforts to hold the Olympics as planned.

The person who made the remark is none other than Taro Aso (麻生太郞), Japan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, a key figure in the Abe administration, intensifying conflicts within the government regarding the Olympics, which is just four months away. On the 18th, during the House of Councillors' Committee on Financial Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Aso escalated tensions by referring to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as the "cursed Olympics" amid growing concerns about postponement or cancellation.

Earlier, on the 17th, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated, "We have gained the support of the Group of Seven (G7) countries to realize the Tokyo Olympics in its complete form as proof that humanity will overcome COVID-19." This statement means he wants to hold the Olympics in its full form.

While the Prime Minister insists on holding a proper Olympics at all costs, the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned the possibility of cancellation by calling it the "cursed Olympics." Although Aso is widely known as a 'blunder maker,' he is a heavyweight figure who has served as Prime Minister and is a strong supporter of Prime Minister Abe, so his remarks cannot be taken lightly.

Aso said, "The 1940 Winter Olympics, which were supposed to be held in Sapporo (札幌), were canceled, and the 1980 Moscow Games were boycotted by Western countries." He added, "Forty years have passed since 1980, and this year is the 40th year. Saying 'cursed Olympics' is something the media would like, but the reality is like that. Problems occur every 40 years," indirectly suggesting the possibility of the Olympics being canceled.

Within the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee (JOC), opinions advocating postponement are emerging, saying, "It is difficult to live normally worldwide, so who would be happy if it is held in July?" and "It is putting athletes at risk."

U.S. President Donald Trump is also pressuring that it is time to make a decision. On the 12th (local time), President Trump said, "It might be better to postpone the Tokyo Olympics by one year. Unfortunately, postponing is better than holding it without spectators," expressing his opinion in favor of postponement.

Ryo Taniguchi (right), who designed the official mascot of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is smiling brightly while holding a 3D model of the mascot.
[Photo by EPA/ Yonhap News]

Then, on the 19th, he said, "It will be a big decision for Prime Minister Abe. I don't know what decision he will make, but we will follow it." This implies that it is time to make a decision.

Meanwhile, reports are emerging that major foreign media and overseas betting companies are lowering the possibility of the Tokyo Olympics being held as planned, rapidly shifting the atmosphere toward postponement or cancellation. Media outlets such as the Associated Press and The New York Times interpreted Prime Minister Abe's "complete form" remark as a prelude to postponing the Olympics.

Foreign betting company William Hill operates a betting market on its website as of the 19th, asking, "Will the Olympic opening ceremony be held on July 24, 2020?" Until the 19th, the odds for "No" were 1/7, and for "Yes," 4/1.

This means that if you bet 1 dollar on "The Olympic opening ceremony will not be held on July 24," you would receive 1.14 dollars if correct, and if you bet 1 dollar on "The Tokyo Olympics will be held as scheduled," you would receive 5 dollars, indicating a low expectation that the Tokyo Olympics will proceed as planned. Another betting company, Paddy Power, reported the same odds of 1/7 and 4/1.

What would happen if the Olympics were postponed or canceled? If postponed, all schedules must be readjusted. Additional management and labor costs for operating the venues will be incurred, volunteer schedules must be rearranged, and a large exhibition hall to be used as a press center must be secured again. The 5,600 Olympic Village units planned for general sale after the Olympics are also problematic because some contracts have already been signed.

If the Olympics are canceled, the economic loss would be enormous. The host country's GDP typically increases by about 0.3 percentage points in the Olympic year. For Japan, it is estimated to lose about 3.2 trillion yen, approximately 37 trillion Korean won. Even if postponed, the losses are similar. Japanese experts worry that during the 1-2 year delay, the tourism industry might collapse, and even if the Olympics are eventually held, the expected benefits may not materialize.

A banner reading "Boycott the 2020 Tokyo Olympics" hung around Jonggak Station in Seoul last year as anti-Japanese sentiment intensified due to the Korea-Japan trade friction.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Our citizens seem to have a strong intention to boycott the Tokyo Olympics. According to an automated response (ARS) survey conducted by the Environmental Health Citizens Center targeting 1,097 adult men and women nationwide, 55.5% of respondents agreed with "boycotting the Tokyo Olympics due to concerns about radiation contamination." Those who disagreed with the boycott were 28.5%, and other responses such as "don't know" accounted for 15.9%.

Regarding the Tokyo Olympics, 91.6% of respondents expressed serious concerns about safety issues due to radiation (69.7% very serious, 21.9% somewhat serious). This survey also clearly reveals the high level of distrust our citizens have toward the Japanese government, including its attitude toward handling COVID-19.

Due to distrust stemming from historical aggression and denial, as well as continuous blunders by key Japanese figures, it is true that our citizens hold a preconceived notion that "Japan is an untrustworthy country." However, the Olympics should be approached from a different perspective.

Regardless of distrust toward Japan, the Olympics should be held normally. Some may feel "resentful" about the postponement or cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics. It is natural to dislike the Japanese government and those who make offensive remarks, but hating the entire Japanese population is a mistaken viewpoint. We must provide athletes, who have endured painful training and dedicated their lives, with the opportunity to perform.

The Olympics are not Japan's festival. They are humanity's festival. Although we may dislike Prime Minister Abe, his statement that the Olympics' hosting "will be proof that humanity has overcome COVID-19" is correct. We hope COVID-19 will subside soon so that the Olympics can be held normally.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.