Did you think that in March 2020 when the Tokyo Olympics were postponed until this year because of the pandemic, that even 2021 would be too soon to hold the Games?

I was optimistic that the challenge of the pandemic would have been the catalyst to spring into action and show the world how it’s done J style. After living through a number of earthquakes, floods and typhoons I’ve never seen anything like how good the Japanese are in a crisis.

Unfortunately the Japanese leadership ( if you can call it that ) and bureaucratic red tape they use to try and dodge responsibility for their own incompetent, indecisive and mediocre ways has just let everyone down. I guess the pandemic didn’t push the same buttons as a natural disaster and the flip flop ‘who’s gunna take the fall’ pass the potato cowards running the country have proved they don’t deserve to be. Wasn’t expecting wonders, but never thought they would be this bad. Wake up moment for the nation hopefully. Is what it is. So sad to see so much potential go to waste.

Yes. Because it’s an event that requires mass international travel on a completely different level to a one-off sporting event such as the Champions League Final, or a golf major.

Even if things had improved by the summer of 2021, I thought that risking the potential gains for a glorified festival would be foolish.

The Olympics is only going ahead because of the greed of the IOC and the companies involved in advertising / sponsoring the event. The IOC would lose billions of dollars if the event was canceled. That would of course hurt the IOC, but it wouldn’t bankrupt it.

The same could be said of the Japanese government. I couldn’t have predicted the way it has (not) treated its own people. It has made me seriously consider my future, and my family’s future in this country.

At the time, I thought the games should be canceled!

It was obvious to anyone with half a brain in March 2020 that staggering the Olympics by 4 years for everyone was the smartest thing to do. But the crooks at the IOC prioritized their profits and the idiot J-govt went along with them.

Well said @stormcrow. Keep thr athletes in a bubble - make it a TV enhanced event and I think it will all go down rather well. People around the world WILL watch.

It's pitiful that these athletes have trained so hard all for naught. Let them compete on TV even if it's without a live audience. Give the athletes a chance (for many their last chance) to represent their countries, to compete and to win a medal.

Knowing the history of Japanese acceptance of drugs and vaccines it was naive to think the pandemic could be solved in a fraction of the time it normally takes for the government to do what is necessary to solve the problem.

No - Anybody who answered yes must have had a crystal ball. Covid WAS underestimated by a large majority of people. I suggest you go back to last June and July and see if you can find some of your comments back then on the subject.

Guess that makes me (in the majority) pretty blind, Aly. However government stupidity and politics has played a large part in extending it. We only have to look at the US, UK and Israel for example to see what vaccines have done. I really don't think we should be comparing to Taiwan, Australia or New Zealand who have completely isolated themselves. The situation may be good there but they really are in complete limbo and vaccinations NOT going great guns.

No, a year ago, I still had faith that the government would actually do what is right to protect us. I believed in humanity; that a vaccine would be developed, which it has. I also believed that the government would do everything they could to distribute that vaccine and inoculate in mass. We have seen that in some countries, but certainly not in Japan. If I have learned anything over the last year, it is that those in power within Japan are only concerned about saving face and increasing their personal wealth. The government dragged/is still dragging their feet on the vaccine role out because they were hoping a Japanese company would produce one and they could all increase their wealth. Hosting the Olympics is obviously much more important than the livelihood and health of the people...how many times have we heard a government official or the IOC say something like the games will go on at all cost, or the games will go on no matter what. Yes, I was a much more naïve a year ago. I believed in our leaders. I believed people were mostly good-hearted and wanted to do what is right. I know better now.

The Olympics have lost all credibility IMHO. Even before the pandemic, all that the Olympics left in its wake was economic disaster. Time to end the Games, for good.

It all depends on the level of panic. As things are right now, there will be people who for the next decade will be complaining at every single event held, and will continue to look closely to case numbers, even as the vulnerable population gets vaccinated and they are no longer at risk.

No, I did not think we would have another 15 months of lockdown.

Yes.

Locally a theatre production I was rehearsing for in 2020 was delayed to 2023, so if we could see it, it can’t be that difficult.

Just like people, viruses, too, benefit and gain strength from their being underestimated. After a year of living dangerously, Japan's agony is only just beginning and the insular smugness of many will predictably change to panic. Inexplicably, the vaccines are coming too slowly and, for some, too late.

Of course, because nothing has been done last year and also nothing is done currently to end the pandemic. Some countries are already planning third or refreshing vaccinations in autumn and even already order vaccines for 2023, no typo. That means , there is also absolutely no intention to break the disastrous development and end the pandemic in the near future.

Yes even Blind Freddy could see that

the blind yes. The STUPID, no

Yes even Blind Freddy could see that