Many countries are completing qualifying events to select their Olympic teams; others have unveiled team uniforms, while some have started vaccinating their athletes. Why do you suppose no country, other than North Korea, has decided not to come to Tokyo for the Olympics?

These aren't really country decisions with the Olympic Games in Japan. They are individual athlete decisions and these athletes have been working towards this goal for 5-15 yrs. Nothing would stop them if they can physically get there.

I suppose a few countries "pay" their athletes to go. It is a full-time job for those people, so the govt would have control over who is sent. In the west, it usually is not their full-time job until the last 6-12 months just before the games. In the US, most of the athletes in the games won't be selected until mid-June, so they are all still training for the selection competition. The favorites are all known. The competitions I've seen recently have not been very impressive, I'm sorry to say. The change to the training and competition schedules over the last year were a very negative effect on preparation.

It is still early days. How will it go sending athletes to Tokyo under a SOE because of spread of variants, with thousands of daily cases, and full hospitals, if that eventuates (which the way things are going is certainly possible, even likely)

Yes, why should that be...lol Because everyone who now elevates the head first gets severely hammered down and has surely disadvantages or let’s say in most cases zero future chances in being chosen next for bigger sports events, competitions or as a candidate country. Or if you don’t like it that harsh, simply call it herd behavior.

I think it's because people are just itching to go outside and just do something and go back normalcy, such as a sporting event. Think of it like someone preparing their weekend outing when it is still tuesday and have posted the things they'll do and the food that they'll eat.

Early days.

Other countries are prepping just in case it's a go.

Has the IOC or JOC even considered asking the athletes themselves if they'd like to postpone these Olympics?

Aren't they the most important component? Don't their opinions matter at all?

Because they're not afraid. Life is quite normal in many parts of the world, despite what you are reading in the media.