Tokyo Olympics, Overseas Spectators Withdraw... Domestic Audience Also Considering Half Reduction (Comprehensive)

Official Announcement After Five-Party Meeting Including Japanese Government and IOC

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] It has been officially decided that overseas spectators will not be allowed at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics held this July.

The Japanese government, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the organizing committee, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) held an online five-party meeting on the evening of the 20th and decided on this policy, according to Kyodo News and NHK.

Given the still severe global COVID-19 situation and the spread of variant viruses, this decision is interpreted as an effort to alleviate the concerns of the Japanese public about hosting the Tokyo Olympics.

Kyodo News reported that, due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, the Japanese government currently does not generally allow new entries of foreigners, and it was judged unrealistic to accept the millions of visitors expected to come to Japan for the Tokyo Olympics.

The five-party meeting on this day included Seiko Hashimoto, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee; Tamayo Marukawa, Japan’s Minister in charge of the Olympics; Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo; Thomas Bach, IOC President; and Andrew Parsons, IPC President.

Earlier, at the first five-party meeting held on the 3rd, they agreed to decide on whether to allow overseas spectators at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics within this month.

So far, 630,000 tickets for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have been sold overseas, and refund procedures are expected to proceed accordingly.

The Japanese government and the organizing committee have also decided, in principle, not to accept Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics volunteers residing overseas.

The spectator capacity limit for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics venues is expected to be decided next month. The Japanese government and the organizing committee are reportedly considering three options: no spectator limit, a 50% reduction in spectators, or no spectators at all.

Regarding this, Kyodo News reported on the same day, citing multiple sources, that the plan to allow only 50% of the venue capacity is being mainly reviewed. Large stadiums, such as soccer stadiums that can accommodate tens of thousands, may face stricter restrictions on domestic spectators.

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