[Tokyo Olympics D-3] "Cursed Olympics"... Skepticism Even Within the Organizing Committee

Opening Ceremony Composer Resigns
Foreign Dignitaries Announce Consecutive Absences
Public Opinion Also Worsens

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] With just three days left until the opening of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, skepticism is emerging even within the organization due to a series of setbacks. The composer responsible for the opening ceremony music abruptly resigned amid a school bullying controversy, and declarations of non-attendance by major foreign dignitaries have followed. Inside the organizing committee, there are even self-deprecating voices saying this Olympics is "cursed."

According to major foreign media such as Mainichi Shimbun and Jiji Press on the 20th, Keigo Oyamada (52), the composer in charge of the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony music, resigned. The reason for his resignation was that Oyamada had proudly spoken in a past magazine interview about bullying classmates or students with disabilities during his school days, which surfaced online and sparked controversy over his qualifications. The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, which has set "diversity and harmony" as the vision for this event, judged that this controversy related to Oyamada does not align with the spirit of the Games.

An organizing committee official said, "This is a matter that is difficult to forgive on a human level, so resignation was inevitable," adding, "With various incidents occurring right before the opening, it feels like this event is cursed."

The continued declarations of non-attendance by foreign heads of state and dignitaries are also considered setbacks. Following the cancellation of South Korean President Moon Jae-in's visit to Japan the previous day, Princess Anne, the eldest daughter of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission, also announced she would not attend.

Princess Anne stated, "It is sad that I cannot be there in person, but both I and the entire nation are supporting the athletes," adding, "We will cheer from home."

Jiji Press reported, "Public opinion in Japan regarding the Tokyo Olympics is unfavorable, and there is growing suspicion among Japanese citizens toward foreigners, so this decision appears to take into account the sentiments of the Japanese public."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Among Japanese sponsor companies, the movement to not participate in the Tokyo Olympics is also spreading. Following Toyota Motor Corporation, the top sponsor, major Japanese companies such as NTT and NEC have expressed their intention not to attend. Japan Airlines (JAL) is also carefully reviewing its attendance, suggesting a likely non-participation. On the surface, the decision to hold the event without spectators is cited as a reason for the reluctance to attend, but it is interpreted that concerns over damage to corporate image if top executives attend the opening ceremony amid strong domestic opposition to hosting the Olympics are the real cause.

Amid daily occurrences of COVID-19 cases, discord between the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the organizing committee is also raising concerns. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announces the number of infections in the city daily, but it does not disclose how many of those are related to the Games, which has sparked controversy. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government explained that it has not received detailed information such as names, ages, or genders of Games-related personnel from the organizing committee, but this has not alleviated public concern.

Major foreign media outlets are also expressing negative views about the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics being held amid a resurgence of COVID-19. The Washington Post (WP) analyzed, "Initially, the Japanese government presented a blueprint to revitalize the Japanese economy through this Olympics, linking it to the success of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but it is difficult to create a sequel that lives up to the original," adding, "This Olympics, held without spectators and with athletes in isolation, is clearly heading toward failure."

Meanwhile, according to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee, since the implementation of the 'Playbook,' a set of quarantine rules, on the 1st of this month, 58 Games-related personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 as of the 19th. Among them, four are athletes.

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