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Tokyo Olympic Games organizers caught between concerns

June 24, 2021 4:15 pm

Tokyo Olympic Games organizers are caught between concerns about the coronavirus.

This comes at a time when few are vaccinated on one side and politicians who hope to save face by holding the games and the International Olympic Committee with billions of dollars on the line on the other.

Japan is famous for running on consensus.

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But the decision to proceed with the Olympics and this week to permit some fans, if only locals, has shredded it.

Support for the Games to go ahead seems to be increasing, but there’s persistent opposition with small street protests planned yesterday, one month before the July 23 opening.

Much of that concern stems from doubts about the health risks.

While the number of new cases has been receding in Tokyo, only about 7% of Japanese are fully vaccinated — and even though the government is now supercharging its vaccine drive after a slow start, the vast majority of the population still won’t be immunized when the games start.