Will the Tokyo Olympics ever take place? Already postponed last year due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the sporting event is no longer supported by the Japanese. According to a poll published Monday, May 17, less than ten weeks before the start of these Olympics, more than 80% of the population is opposed to its organization this summer. Carried out by the daily Asahi, this opinion poll comes after the government’s decision to extend the state of health emergency to nine departments of the country, facing a fourth wave of coronavirus infections.
The poll reveals that 43% of those questioned want the Games to be canceled and 40% a further postponement. Those numbers are up from the 35% who supported the cancellation in a survey by the same newspaper a month ago and the 34% who wanted a further postponement. Only 14% are in favor of holding the Games as planned this summer, against 28% previously, according to this telephone survey of 1,527 people. If the Games are held, 59% of those polled said they did not want an audience, 33% favoring a reduction in the number of spectators and 3% favoring Games with normal capacity in the stadiums.
“Safe” Olympics, promise the organizers
For months, all polls have shown that a majority of Japanese oppose the holding of the Olympics, scheduled from July 23 to August 8. Another poll carried out by the Kyodo news agency and published on Sunday May 16 shows that 59.7% of those questioned are in favor of the cancellation of the Olympics, although a new postponement was not cited as an option.
The organizers of the Olympic Games keep repeating that very strict antivirus measures, including regular tests on athletes and the ban on spectators coming from abroad, will allow the Olympics to be held “in complete safety”. But the Kyodo poll found that 87.7% of those polled fear the influx of athletes and delegations could spread the virus.
Japan has so far experienced a smaller coronavirus epidemic than that seen in many countries, with some 11,500 officially recorded deaths since early 2020. But the government has come under fire for delays in its vaccination program. According to the Kyodo poll, 85% of those questioned consider this program to be slow and 71.5% are unhappy with the way the government is handling the health crisis.
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