The organization of the Tokyo Olympics this summer is highly contested in Japan. – Eugene Hoshiko / AP / Sipa
Japanese daily Asahi, an official partner of the Tokyo Olympics, on Wednesday called for the event to be canceled, which he called a “health threat,” as the country is currently experiencing a fourth wave of coronavirus infections. In an editorial, the newspaper urged Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to “examine the situation calmly and objectively” and “to take the decision to cancel the Olympic Games this summer”.
Less than two months before the Games (July 23-August 8), postponed last year because of the pandemic, the Japanese population is up against their holding, according to various polls.
The “selfish nature” of the IOC
Asahi considers that in the face of the uncertainty linked to the health situation, the opening of these Games would amount to making “a bet” which, in his opinion, is “not acceptable”. The newspaper also recalls the “confounding remarks” of the vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) John Coates last week, according to which the Olympics would take place even if the city of Tokyo were to remain under a state of emergency. The IOC’s “selfish nature” has “come out again” in these statements, criticizes the editorial.
Relatively spared by the pandemic compared to other countries, with some 12,000 officially recorded deaths since early 2020, Japan has set up a state of emergency in 10 of its 47 departments in the face of the worsening health situation. Currently scheduled until the end of May, the measure is expected to be extended this week until June 20, according to local media. The state of health emergency in Japan essentially involves the closing of bars and restaurants earlier, at 8 p.m.
The United States on Monday recommended its nationals not to travel to Japan because of the pandemic. The White House, however, tempered this announcement Tuesday, its spokesman affirming that the position of the United States “had not changed” and that they remained attached to the Olympics.