Tokyo Olympics Amid COVID-19, Calls for Limited Spectators Gain Support Among Officials

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 9th, there is growing support among the Japanese government and event officials for holding the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, which open on the 23rd of next month, with spectators.

According to the report, Seiko Hashimoto, Chairperson of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee, stated at the board meeting held the previous day that they would refer to the J-League (Japan Professional Football), which is continuing matches with spectators in attendance.

Currently, for large-scale events such as sports matches, in areas where a state of emergency has been declared, the capacity is limited to 50% of the venue’s capacity, with a maximum of 5,000 spectators allowed.

Earlier, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also expressed enthusiasm for holding events with spectators during a press conference on the 28th of last month, citing the J-League and professional baseball, saying, "They are implementing measures to prevent the spread of infection," and "We can respond in that way."

Voices advocating for holding the Games with spectators are also rising among officials in the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Asahi Shimbun reported that a senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office said, "Players cannot be motivated when there are zero spectators," and that discussions are underway on the premise of allowing domestic spectators.

This marks a rapid change in atmosphere compared to April 28th, when Chairperson Hashimoto said, "We are prepared to hold the Games without spectators."

The Asahi analyzed, "Recently, due to the effect of the state of emergency and other factors, the number of confirmed cases has been declining, and with growing expectations for vaccination, opinions within the government favoring holding the Games with spectators are strengthening."

However, the Asahi also reported that concerns are being raised even among government officials responsible for COVID-19 response about holding the Olympics with spectators, which is on a different scale from the J-League.

In fact, Shigeru Omi, Chairperson of the Japanese government’s COVID-19 task force, expressed a negative view on holding the Games with spectators during the House of Representatives Health, Labor and Welfare Committee on the 2nd, stating, "It is the organizer’s responsibility to minimize the scale of the event as much as possible and to strengthen management measures to the utmost."

Meanwhile, on the previous day (the 8th), the number of new COVID-19 cases nationwide in Japan was 1,884, about 30% lower compared to a week earlier.

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