Tokyo residents question holding Olympics
Published:Tuesday | January 12, 2021 | 9:23 AM
TOKYO — The president of the Tokyo Olympic organising committee has tried to reassure the public that the postponed games will open in six months.
Two polls in the last few days show just over 80% of Japanese people surveyed think the Olympics should be cancelled or postponed or believe they won’t take place as coronavirus cases surge in Japan.
More than 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes from 200 nations and territories normally attend an Olympics.
It’s not clear if fans can attend in Tokyo.
In a “New Year’s” address, the 83-year-old Tokyo Olympics president Yorhiro Mori says: “Spring will always come, morning will surely come even after long nights.”
Optimism from organisers has been quelled by a state of emergency for Tokyo and surrounding areas declared last week.
Japan has controlled the virus relatively well, but cases are rising with about 4,000 deaths in Japan attributed to the coronavirus.
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