Tokyo Olympics will go ahead in 2021, despite low public opinion

According to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, the dekayed Tokyo Olympics would go-ahead as scheduled in July 2021, even as the country grapples with an unexpected surge in coronavirus cases.

In a written statement for the New Year, Prime Minister Suga stated that "The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held this summer [...] we will make steady preparations to realise a safe and secure tournament".

In March last year, Japan and the International Olympic Committee decided to postpone the games by a year, as the pandemic sent much of the world into lockdown.

The games, now scheduled for July, involves over 11,000 athletes across the globe with a combined budget of $15 billion - as Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, articulated that Tokyo was "the best prepared" Olympic city ever, adding that "These Olympic Games will be the light at the end of the tunnel, they will be a celebration of solidarity, of the unity of humankind in all our diversity, and of resilience".

However, in Japan public opinion appears to be turning against the event, as shown in a survey published by public broadcasting body NHK (in December) revealed that only 27 percent of people wanted the games to go ahead, while those preferring cancellation rose to 32 percent. The remainder wanted another postponement, which has now been ruled out.

With nearly seven months to go, Japan is battling a surge in coronavirus cases, as Prime Minister Suga has been criticised for his government’s response to the wave of infections after he continued to back a now-suspended programme introduced by his predecessor Abe, to promote domestic tourism.