Anxiety In Japan Rises As Olympic Games Near

TOKYO, JAPAN - MAY 06: A huge semi-sphere displaying the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics logos is displayed from the side of a driving school building on May 6, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo's governor, Yuriko Koike, is expected to request that the city's current state of emergency be extended to May 31st as Tokyo and other parts of Japan experience a surge in Covid-19 coronavirus cases. With just under three months remaining until the Olympic games, concern continues to mount over the feasibility of hosting the event amid the ongoing pandemic. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

The 2021 Tokyo Olympics are right around the corner, and anxiety is in the air in Japan. Naruhito, the Emperor of Japan, is “extremely worried” his country moving forward as host of the Summer Olympics will accelerate the spread of the coronavirus.

Imperial Household Agency grand steward Yasuhiko Nishimura passed along Naruhito’s concerns amid calls for the Tokyo Games to get canceled or postponed before the July 23 opening ceremony, per Mari Yamaguchi of the Associated Press. “His majesty is extremely worried about the current situation of the COVID-19 infections,” Nishimura said last week. “While there are voices of unease among the public, I believe [the emperor] is concerned that holding the Olympics and Paralympics… may lead to the expansion of the infections.”

While this fear hangs in the air for Japanese royalty, there have been no direct calls to cancel the Olympics. Nishimura did say event organizers must “take every possible antivirus measures so as not to cause the spread of the infections at the Olympics and Paralympics, where the emperor serves the Honorary Patron.”

“In order to overcome this challenge, it is important for all of us, in and outside of Japan, to bring our hearts together and cooperate,” Naruhito said during a speech Monday. A contrasting belief amongst Japanese officials is held by their Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who has remained a staunch supporter of holding the Games, which were already delayed one year by the COVID-19 pandemic. He reiterated that stance last week after a meeting with other world leaders at the G-7 summit. “I’m feeling reassured by the firm support I received from all the other leaders. I have renewed my determination to make the Tokyo Games a success at any cost,” Suga said.

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Although the opening ceremony is set for July 23, preliminary competition begins in soccer and softball on July 21, leaving less than a month for any decision to postpone or cancel the international event, which is expected to bring over 11,000 athletes from over 200 countries. Athletes have been arriving in Japan for weeks to begin preparations. The Summer Games will run through August 8, followed by the Paralympics from August 24 to September 5.