Suga gets word out: He supports Tokyo Olympics

Surprise, surprise...

Yes, that's a given, but no mention of what to do with the nukes and the waste piling up in Fukushima. Koizumi hasn't said anything nor has Suga. Besides the pandemic already hampering efforts to hold the Olympics, all it's going to take is one "incident" in Fukushima and you can forget anyone coming to the Olympics.

Japan’s new prime minister has gotten the word out to the president of the International Olympic Committee that he is behind next year’s delayed Tokyo Games.

Can anyone say "drama queen" here? I mean really, Suga notified the the IOC, got in touch with the IOC, wrote a letter to the IOC, but no, "gotten the word out", ....this isnt a surrender, or spy story here, nor is it "leaking" state secrets.

I like this guy already, he seems to have a way with words, must be his farm life upbringing

Of course! All Japanese politicians support the Tokyo games. However, it has nothing to do with the events or athletes. It’s only about the economics. It will go ahead regardless of the pandemic risk.

Mori told Bach the reappointment of the two ministers directly connected to the Olympics — Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda and Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto — showed the government's continued support.

It does?? How??

one of those, Hashimoto, is on record sexually harassing an Olympian.

So please explain to us how appointing those 2 makes Japan look more serious about the Olympics??

Lipstick on a Pig

No vaccine, no Olympics.

But this weekend Germany starts to allow "the Bundesliga" in front of spectators, even the COVID 19 cases in Germany are on a rise.

I think up to 10.000 spectators are allowed.

“Making the Olympics and Paralympics a success, using all means, is the strong commitment of Japan,”.

Meaning damn the consequences of possible infection risks, the debt incurred to a public coping with an economic shock, further postponement of efforts addressing continuing relief of disasters like Fukushima, this effort in hubris of an entitled and insulated political class will proceed.

We all are, but is COVID - 19 behind it too??

Suga is being risk averse, or he is simply reassuring all his corporate supporters funds that has been set aside for the Olympic WILL be spent.

According to Mori, 'Thomas Bach was ready to fly to Japan immediately and thank Suga for supporting the games.' Really? Apparently, he conflates a promised phone call with the Head of the IOC, to immediately jumping on a jet. One wonders, what other fantasies are connected to the 2021 Olympics?

Suga. Another old man with worn out ideas. Pressing a failed agenda. Aptly reflected in a commitment to holding the Olympic Games during a pandemic.

Suga, the architect of industrial tourism and the overwhelming influx of visitors from China and other Asian countries. Instead of developing a sustainable economy, fixated on the notion of creating an economy of complete artifice. Such is reflected in the push for an event that should be cancelled or as suggested by the IOC, held in 2022. a notion rejected by the likes of Suga and his benefactor Abe.

Well, if Suga sez so. Too bad we can't ask Covid.

I've got my money on 2022 at the earliest (unless global warming kicks in with a vengeance to raise torrid Tokyo's summer temperatures)

If every tourist who wants to see the Olympics have to obtain a letter of authorization from the Japanese embassy, a 72-hours pre-flight test and another one at the airport I see very few people coming to Japan, not to mention all the negative press when someone will be invariably sent back for lack of xyz.

Time to streamline the process, one test only, done at the airport and you can get the results in 15 minutes.

I'd say they could even charge for it, so with the whole process they would end up breaking even and show the world a very positive image of Japan.

Money, money, money must be funny in a rich mans world.

never thought I'd use that, but it's time.

The difficulty in holding athletic competitions, with travelers from all over the world, is a reality that seems to be incomprehensible to Mori and Suga.

Apparently, Suga and Mori missed this news item: The World Health Organization warned on Thursday that weekly coronavirus case numbers are rising in Europe at a higher rate than during the pandemic's peak in March.

The incidence of infection is not subsiding, it had diminished due to the lockdowns. Allowing the Olympics to take place, without a vaccine arriving at the end of the year or in January, would create an unmanageable disaster.

What a strange article ... do you expect Suga to say "Sorry, we hate the Olympics now, please IOC go away"

There are 4 problems: SARS-CoV-2 (the compulsory 2 week quarantine rules require 1-2 million tourists without private transport to stay at govt dictated costs for the 2 weeks paid for with tax money), Fukushima Daiichi uncontrolled and mismanaged disaster, 35+degrees heat and possible typhoons, and the predicted M9 earthquake and possible 27m tsunami which experts say, around 325,000 people will die and up to 1 million buildings damaged. Tokai Nuclear Facility where a suggested 3000 tons of weapon grade plutonium is also 70-80km from Tokyo.

As Suga might be out next November, Olympics is probably his dream legacy?

Tokyo Olympics aside, can new PM Suga offer new prescription for economic recovery?

One wonders why he has been insisting on carrying on Abenomics when many Japanese know too well that it has not been functional as expected.

If Suga aims to keep replicating what Abe has done, where will be the reform as suggested and anticipated by his supporters?.. He may have to think again, carefully and cautiously..

and then IMMEDIATELY loses the support of the Japanese people.

Yes yes that's fine, But for a 2021 Olympics one also needs the support of the IOC and the entire world, and that will hinge on how we all fare with COVID19 and whether global travel is normalized. On the other hand, IF the world gets this pandemic under control by then, a 2021 Olympics would be a great way for the whole world to celebrate. Just don't invite China. lol

“Making the Olympics and Paralympics a success, using all means, is the strong commitment of Japan,” Hagiuda said,

and

Hashimoto, an Olympic medal winner, said her focus was the athletes.

“I think making environments where athletes can respect each other and compete to the best of their ability is the most important," she said.

These platitudes are all very nice but what qualifies as a "success"? A huge amount of money has been spent just to get this far. Is a games with no extra visitors to Japan a "success"? Does anyone here think higher of the UK, Greece or Brazil simply because they hosted the Olympics recently? How many Japanese think higher of South Korea for hosting the last Winter Olympics? The answer will be hardly any. Many will have forgotten already.

The second quote focuses on athletes, but again, how much should the Japanese people pay for "environments where athletes can respect each other". Do they need a billion dollar stadium to do that?

Glad he does.

If baseball and football stadiums remained open all this time, why cancel the long awaited Tokyo 2020 (+1) Olympics?

Plan ahead and responsibly, to ensure no new clusters of Covid-19 will not appear due to the event, and we can only expect success for this huge event.

Looking forward to see Japan taking some gold medals in Judo (and not only hopefully).

Not much of a surprise, I mean he was Abe’s right hand man. And I say good, because as I’ve said a number of previous comments, it’s still too soon to say whether or not the games can go on. If it can be properly contained, and/or they come up with a sufficient number of vaccines by the time the Olympics, then I say go ahead. Because if they have enough vaccines, then all the spectators coming to Japan won’t pose much of a problem. At least regarding the pandemic anyway.