tokyo 2020 olympics

Measures that made Tokyo Olympics possible also left public disconnected

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By Junko Horiuchi and Sayo Sasaki

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Look, we all know that these games had nothing to do with the revitalization of Tohoku, with showing off Japanese culture and technology, it was all about money for construction companies, and all the other related companies, like Toyota who supplied all the vehicles for the Olympics. Before the games started Japan was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Visitors were flocking to the country in ever growing numbers. Do you think two weeks of visitors would make a huge difference to the travel industry? No, this was all about companies getting as much tax dollars as they could for an event that was not necessary.

38 ( +41 / -3 )

Thanks a lot to the Japanese government for focusing on the Money-Olympics and not on dealing with the pandemic. All victims (not only dead people) must be pleased with. And Para games are coming... Poor world.

36 ( +41 / -5 )

I remember the start of a french movie where the said "this is the story of a man falling from the 557th floor of a building.

While he is falling he keeps reassuring himself "so far so good so far so good"

But it's not how you fall but the landing that is important.

I fear the crash landing.

33 ( +38 / -5 )

A question to be asked is: why did Japanese government authorities and corporation, including media and advertising conglomerates so intent on "selling" these Games to the Japanese people? If the Games in themselves are such a worthwhile event, socially, economically, psychologically, even politically, would there be the need to create so many reasons to hold them, so many just to gain support, legitimacy and popularity among the voting and paying public? Shouldn't the Games sell themselves?

Each time some justification was pronounced and echoed, such as rejuvenating Tohoku, an economic injection for rural areas and for Tokyo, the legacy of new infrastructure, hope to overcome the suffering in the pandemic, an environmentally friendly Olympics, it was clear that the real motivation for the Tokyo 2020 was always about private interest and not public benefit. From the initial lie, that Tokyo 2020 would make money, despite the legacy of Olympic host nation and host city debt, to the ones that followed, these Games were always a disconnection, a contradiction from the tension created when the corporate-state must legitimize the transfer of public finances to private companies through corporate welfare schemes. All of the spinning, all of the justifications, all of the lies were efforts to contain this contradiction, that the many scandals, cost overruns and finally the pandemic kept liberating.

32 ( +34 / -2 )

With no overseas fans and even domestic spectators banned from almost all events, many felt physically disconnected from what they could only follow on TV or online.

Not completely disconnected at least Japanese tax payer money trail will be connected to particular thing for Olympics.

31 ( +34 / -3 )

buchailldanaToday  07:28 am JST

I remember the start of a french movie where the said "this is the story of a man falling from the 557th floor of a building.

While he is falling he keeps reassuring himself "so far so good so far so good"

"La Haine". That is an all time classic, which the French prime minister at the time instructed his cabinet to watch, in order to understand what was actually going on in the country.

Pity there isn't a single politician in Japan with that kind of insight.

23 ( +27 / -4 )

Billions of dollars wasted on this that could have been spent on worthier things like this virus and climate change.

Pathetic.

21 ( +27 / -6 )

Under the most duress, the Japanese came through. In the toughest of circumstances, they shined.

Well, that reporter I am sure had fun. Meanwhile every taxpayer in Japan has been cuckolded. We pay for it. Others enjoy it and profit from it. And we are told to be grateful. Grateful to be allowed to sleep at the foot of the bed.

20 ( +24 / -4 )

I for one enjoyed the games. True. But it was the athletes that I admire.

The Japanese Government, The Big Businesses, The IOC can all go to.... [ ya know ]

19 ( +24 / -5 )

Anyone thinking these games were anything but a disaster, let's go over a few things.

Original cost was said to be $6 billion, by 2017 that was revised to $12 billion, by 2019 ( before covid) that was then estimated to be $15 billion, covid adds another $1~2 billion, the government auditors estimate the final bill will be twice the $15 billion.

Even without covid ticket sales would have been $800 million.

After sponsors, ticket sales ( had there been any) etc..

Tokyo is still looking at $10~15 billion in debt,

That is nearly 3 times the previously most disastrous financial Olympics debt (adjusted for inflation) the 1976 Montreal Olympics had.

That debt took 30 years to pay off using special taxes.

So I hope our grandchildren like the extra debt we are leaving them.

18 ( +21 / -3 )

I'm not hiding in fear Tokyoite.

I'm double vaccinated.

I'm talk about the long term consequences rather than the consequences to myself.

The health consequences, financial consequences, societal consequences.

It's more than just me me me!

17 ( +22 / -5 )

For sale: One barely used stadium. Used once, no wear and tear. 95% of seats unused and brand new. Can be demolished and sold for high quality scrap as no longer needed. Contact stadium administration for details

17 ( +18 / -1 )

Tokyo public ignored to make Olympics possible.

There. Fixed it.

16 ( +22 / -6 )

Rest In Peace, IOC. You are now a pariah. If you think you were criticized this time around, wait a few months until the CCP Winter Olympics begin…..Rest in Peace, Japanese government. You have lost all respect in the eyes of your populace and be ready for pushback the next time you try anything that significantly affects the public. The next question we citizens need to ask ourselves is how will we respond when the government wants to shut down schools and other public facilities in the name of safety at the same time they continue to tax us at an obscene rate. And how will we respond when LDP fools actually discuss changing laws that increase their power over us.

16 ( +19 / -3 )

They willingly shovelled billions from the public purse to corporations with no return. Financial stewardship or consideration was never an option. Under the guise of sport it was the largest national theft ever. Change my mind

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Given the extraordinary amount of how much the entire games cost and facilities that were built and that were left almost empty everywhere and with a slow economy that continues to persist as well as the declining elderly population and low birth rate it could take up to three generations to completely pay off these games. That’s the sad reality, so expect the cost of living to slowly and incrementally go up.

I always felt that Japan was never ready to host the games, not because Japan wasn’t worthy, but because the country was never financially in a good economical state. The games were decent but covid hit and that didn’t help Japan, the games were delayed one year and now your raising the cost again. JOC and every other leader wants to dodge the issue, but it’s not something you can run away from and when a country is spending more than it’s taking in, it’s just a matter of time before you will see a ruined economy. Japan should have waited to host the games until it was economically more stable, it didn’t, the leaders of this country as well as the JOC didn’t care one bit what the people wanted or what’s the best and smart thing to do for the nation with a slow economy and now the harsh reality aftermath is coming.

15 ( +20 / -5 )

The world is thanking Japan for shining a very bright light to show there is a way forward and bring some enjoyment in these difficult times.

If you were a very rich (although simultaneously very in debt) country and you had some cash to flash, would you:

a) Do everything possible to get as many of your citizens vaccinated as possible, and invest anything that may be left over into things which benefit as many people as possible, be that through education, culture, healthcare, etc.

or

b) Host a bloated folly of a glorified sports-day-cum-nationalist-rally, featuring bullies, racists, incompetence and controversy, while saddling your citizens with yet further debt and wittering about "the children", "Fukushima", and "hopes and dreams"?

(I ask this question rhetorically; I know your answer already).

15 ( +18 / -3 )

It's almost comical to read comments like this. Governments are designed to handle more than one task at a time.

Apparently not, it couldn't handle Vaccination so handed 50 million doses to private companies that administered 45 million out of the 99 million in less than half the time the government did.

The government bouncing back and forth between SOE on and off, between spectators yes the no then then no.

The incapability to even come close to the promised testing for covid barely getting 20% at best the numbers they promised.

The incapability of understanding covid does stop on weekends and holidays but testing does.

Do I need to go on?

It is very clear this government cannot handle 2 major problems/events at the same time.

14 ( +18 / -4 )

The delta variant is so contagious that the nonchalance of politicians is leading Japan to an unprecedented health disaster. 117,219 people are hospitalized in Japan because of Covid. There are 126 million people in Japan. Almost one in 1000 people is in the hospital for this virus! Many others are waiting for a place in the hospital. And the current wave has not reached its peak. I feel so sad.

13 ( +18 / -5 )

Goodbye to these accursed games. Goodbye to the unelected quasi-state IOC. Hello $30 billion in debt. No wonder that fear and fewer countries want to hold this debacle.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

What measures? Can’t have been much when it was the worst Olympics ever.

12 ( +20 / -8 )

To all those claiming these games were worth it.

Telling others to "get over it and move on", etc...

Why not put your money where your mouth is?

Petition the government to calculate the cost to each tax payers in Tokyo, then you and the approximately 30% that wanted the games can pay your portion and that of the rest of us that didn't want or watch them.

Sounds fair, you wanted them you supported them so shouldn't you pay for them and not us our children and grandchildren?

11 ( +15 / -4 )

The roller coaster hasn't yet come to a full stop yet. Give it a few weeks until the data can catch up to the images on TV on on the computer screens.. Way, way too early to shift the discussion to the Paris Olympics. Doing so makes my stomach churn!

10 ( +11 / -1 )

See ya Bach! Take your smug mug out of our debt-ridden country and don’t come back.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Tokyo prefecture during the 7 first days of August

Population = 13.9 millions

Number of covid tests = 610 065

Number of infections = 171 471

Infection rate = 28%

Current number of hospitalizations = 3 517 (severe 151)

Osaka prefecture during the 7 first days of August

Population = 8.8 millions

Number of covid tests = 634 476

Number of infections = 44 835

Infection rate = 7%

Current number of hospitalizations = 1 659 (severe 108)

Tokyo defines severity of hospitalizations more strictly than Osaka.

Now, make your opinion on how real is the situation in Tokyo. And we know that the situation is already underestimated in Osaka.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

gasbags like Bach got his pockets lined and the people who paid for the garbage event didn't get to go see it

9 ( +9 / -0 )

I propose that all future Olympics be pay perview.

Let's see how many are really interested in them.

I am willing to bet they will be the lowest viewership of any international sports event that is also pay perview.

You have to pay for a ticket to see them live in stadium, so do the same online or TV.

Without public broadcasting like NHK, BBC, CBC, etc.. saturating just about every minute with Olympic news or events, it will be an interesting experiment to see who is actually interested in paying and for what sports.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

Japanese advertisers paid the IOC 3 billion dollars to promote the games. The pseudo-aristocrats and scheming con-artists who run the IOC then paid off the LDP to make sure the games were held.

Japanese taxpayers are on the hook for all the construction that took place.

The Olympics need to be held in designated cities on a rotating basis, or in just one place. How about Olympia? Do you people even know where that is?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Oh yeah and it was the 57th floor I think rather than the 557th.

My bad

6 ( +6 / -0 )

As with everything Covid made us reassess, these idiot games also need to be reexamined. It’s not contributing anything for the betterment of our immediate and long term problems.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Go home.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

The world is thanking Japan for shining a very bright light to show there is a way forward and bring some enjoyment in these difficult times.

That's one strong prescription.

Let the frustration go and move on.

Ok! Are you going to pay my, my wife's, my children's etc.. portion of the taxes this has cost or will cost?

Put your money where your mouth is you wanted these games you keep going on with false claims.

So pay our portion for the next decades.

How about it? Or is it all talk no action?

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Suga's optimistic view that the Olympics would be well received once they started has somewhat been supported by the lift in sentiment due to Japanese athletes' medal rush

Really. I don't think many hold that view

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Not entirely. Some were not pleased with the olympics, but some were.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

Agreed! Brilliant analysis by a certified genius!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

For sale: One barely used stadium. Used once, no wear and tear. 95% of seats unused and brand new. Can be demolished and sold for high quality scrap as no longer needed. Contact stadium administration for details

@sf2k - can I add a few things in?

For sale: One barely used stadium, with tags. Cost $1.43 billion new, only used once, no wear and tear. 95% of seats unused and brand new, still in original box. Junk status, can be demolished and sold for high quality scrap as sadly no longer needed. Offers. Contact government for details.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Picture of Bach waving his hands thanking everyone in Japan for risking your lives for my greed as I was able to cash in lots of muras and walks off stage.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Silly Olympics who don’t have a care for the humanity.

What happened to the meaning of the Olympics, it was supposed to be the Tohoku region recovery. I guess it got lost in translation.

The real winner are doctors, nurses and medical staff who work day and nights and help patients fight the disease.

The losers are athletes, volunteers and other staff members who participated in Olympics. If they had some humanity decency, they would give up their medals. While they were celebrating, laughing and over joy. Patients are dying in hospital fighting for their lives. Families are losing love ones, relatives and friends to Covid.

What matters to athletes… that earn shiny trinkets. 

If they were not the pandemic… yes then let’s celebrate. Still I believe that Olympics is useless and should be abolish. It’s wasting money.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What sad lives so many people lead

Seems they even see a halffilled glass as empty

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This was an awesome olympics! If it had fans, it would be one of the greatest. So much drama and poignant moments. It even had a defection by an athlete.

Some of my favorite memories include Dean Boxall's pelvic thrusting, Warholm's record-breaking OMG moment and look of disbelief, Joker's epic meltdown at Ariake stadium, the high-jumpers sharing their gold medals, athletes putting medals on each other, etc. There were so many moments.

I said this before the games started but sports fans in Japan are really going to regret missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness greatness in person. Suga and Koike's original plan of letting a limited amount of vaccinated fans into the stadiums was the correct one but they choked just like Biles and Osaka and Joker.

Just sad.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Thank you China and Dr. Faucci! Great job masking the world. BTW...boycott the 2022 winter games in China. Of course.

0 ( +8 / -8 )

as_the_crow_flies

oh sure. Let's add a few more. Central location in the heart of Tokyo! Close to all amenities and transit. Land and air rights a developer's dream. Will take applications for a possible casino otherwise will be expecting to scrap. AAA+ materials. Act now, will will not be undersold!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Shouldn't the Games sell themselves?

As our suitably Orwellian poster warispeace points out, would we want the Government to use the same level of propaganda to sell us other things?

Would the general public be happier with small pensions and women happier with low wages if the government did a media blitz about "it's good to keep working and money isn't everything". To use Orwell himself, does it matter if the chocolate ration has fallen if we are told and believe it has gone up?

$30 billion is about 26,000 yen each for every person in Japan. You could give every one of them/us a bicycle, skateboard, running gear, six months of public gym membership, 10 rides on gondolas on hiking mountains, .... Instead, that money went to construction companies and Dentsu.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@falseflagsteve @theResident

Totally agree with you both - the government here have been completely vindicated in their decision to push ahead with the Games. The world needed some light now that we're at the end of the long COVID-19 tunnel and the Japanese public deserve our thanks as well for their perseverance. It is difficult to believe other countries would have forged ahead with the Olympics given how negative the initial coverage was.

The doomers who made predictions of new variants and Japan becoming the new COVID-19 hotspot because of the Olympics were all proven wrong. And they have no response for this - other than "Well... things will get worse eventually!"

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Businesses didn't get the usual economic benefits

People didn't get the usual international experiences

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Can't please everyone. Was much better watching on TV at home with air-conditioner and beer. Wouldn't have been that fun watching it sweating while fanning hot air on oneself!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Suga's insistence on the Olympics going ahead

No he did not, Bach told him he would.

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

Sitting in front of my Telivision or Smartphone in distant Mumbai in India got totally addicted to watching the Olympic games from morning to evening non-stop.The games were a distraction from the global misery of the pandemic of the century " Covid 19".

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

The games went well, better than expected and the Japanese population got behind them when the saw the truth and what the games stand for. The Olympics inspire humanity and show how cooperation can make dreams come true,

So called experts made many claims how the games would lead to a new variant, usual doom and gloom stuff, yet again they were proved false

The good news is that many millions enjoyed the event worldwide which helped take their minds away from Covid. Young people will be wishing to start new sports and many adults too, fitness and good health are important to society.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Resident&Commodore

Great points. No big drama or disasters, yet the same crowd carry on complaining. I really can’t understand the negative mentality of those people to be honest. The world is moving on and healing as this Olympics showed. If some wish to be left behind, it’s their choice. We have good times to look forward to.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Christopher Lowery

Sure does, I'd wager the Paris one is gonna cost more, but $20 billion is pissant compared to the US military programs.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Very weird, because chinese kids are inspired:

"With the passionate atmosphere of the Tokyo Olympics and the upcoming Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing, China celebrated its 13th national fitness day on Sunday, a tradition to call on citizens to engage in fitness activities as part of the country's campaign to promote health."

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/1230865.shtml

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

"Without spectators, the economic benefit that had been anticipated has disappeared and I think it will take more time to conclude whether it was the right decision to hold the Olympics," he said.

If the JOC was going to fill the seats at Saitama Super Arena with non-working volunteers, like was done at the U.S. - Japan gold medal game in basketball, we might question the need to ban paying domestic spectators who would have helped defray the cost of these Games.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

Iron LadToday  12:49 pm JST

Very weird, because chinese kids are inspired:

"With the passionate atmosphere of the Tokyo Olympics and the upcoming Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing, China celebrated its 13th national fitness day on Sunday, a tradition to call on citizens to engage in fitness activities as part of the country's campaign to promote health."

Iron LadToday  12:49 pm JST

Very weird, because chinese kids were told to are inspired by the state:

"With the passionate atmosphere of the Tokyo Olympics and the upcoming Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing, China celebrated its 13th national fitness day on Sunday, a tradition tells every citizens to engage in fitness activities as part of the country's campaign to promote health or else face the consequences."

There fixed.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

TokyoiteToday  12:32 pm JST

Basically we pay for what pleases you.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Er…no one replied to you in the positive when you asked if anyone wanted you to go on at 10:36am @Antiquesaving. But you did nevertheless.

Tax money was spent long ago. The time to protest the Games was during the bidding process back in 2012. Not now…and not using the pretext of Covid that they shouldn’t have been held. The Covid relief budget is many more times than the cost of these games. They didn’t personally cost you anything. You would have been paying the same taxes and still having no say where they were spent! Your Grabdchildren will be paying the cost of Covid, not the Olympics.

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

AntiquesavingToday  11:56 am JST

The world is thanking Japan for shining a very bright light to show there is a way forward and bring some enjoyment in these difficult times.

That's one strong prescription.

Let the frustration go and move on.

Ok! Are you going to pay my, my wife's, my children's etc.. portion of the taxes this has cost or will cost?

Put your money where your mouth is you wanted these games you keep going on with false claims.

So pay our portion for the next decades.

How about it? Or is it all talk no action?

There are many things that governments spend money on which the residents of that country do not approve of. In democracies (and Japan is one, even if you don't agree with how it's done here), people can then vote accordingly if they approve or not. That can be single issue based, on how the government performs as a whole.

Within this country you have right to complain (some do non-stop), protest if you wish outside the stadiums, or if you meet requirements, stand for office.

When you decided to live in Japan (as in any country), you sign up to those rules. Move on,

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

buchailldanaToday  07:28 am JST

I remember the start of a french movie where the said "this is the story of a man falling from the 557th floor of a building.

While he is falling he keeps reassuring himself "so far so good so far so good"

But it's not how you fall but the landing that is important.

I fear the crash landing.

And how long will you keep waiting, hiding in fear?

-9 ( +5 / -14 )

The Tokyo Olympics were a reflection of how efficient Japan can be.

Bravo!

-11 ( +6 / -17 )

AntiquesavingToday  10:28 am JST

Anyone thinking these games were anything but a disaster, let's go over a few things.

The world is thanking Japan for shining a very bright light to show there is a way forward and bring some enjoyment in these difficult times.

Let the frustration go and move on.

-12 ( +4 / -16 )

Asiaman7

It did get something else, though

Thanks for sharing. Shared it with all my friends.

You know how the posters usually are here, but the happier majority gets it, so don’t worry.

stormcrow

The Tokyo Olympics were a reflection of how efficient Japan can be. 

Exactly. And practical, realistic, positive in their actions.

-14 ( +3 / -17 )

At the end of the day the sky didn't fall and people can now move on....well some of us can move on...

-16 ( +7 / -23 )

heTruthIsOutThereToday  07:23 am JST

Thanks a lot to the Japanese government for focusing on the Money-Olympics and not on dealing with the pandemic. All victims (not only dead people) must be pleased with. And Para games are coming... Poor world.

It's almost comical to read comments like this. Governments are designed to handle more than one task at a time.

Or do you really believe that the person who organized the skateboarding is the same person that can now step up and organize a vaccine rollout?

-16 ( +5 / -21 )

From Yahoo Sports:

The complaints were legit. You walked into a restaurant and you could see desperation in the proprietor's eyes. It was painful.

And no, this was not perfect. The heat was oppressive on some competitions — but it’s the IOC (and its broadcast partners) who demand a late-July start date.

What was in their control was the attitude and the aptitude. They excelled on both. There were so many workers, so many volunteers, so many cops — all impossibly friendly and eager to help, even as the days dragged on. Two-plus weeks in and they attacked their jobs with the dedication of day one — wiping down tables, helping at crosswalks, offering just a friendly nod as you passed by.

You couldn’t fake the passion. They just wanted it to work for everyone. They just wanted this to work for Japan.

And it did. The Olympics happened.

Japan didn’t get the Games it wanted. It didn’t get the tourist dollars or the ticket money or the packed entertainment districts. It didn’t get the fun for the locals cheering in the stands.

It didn’t get the pictures splashed across television and social media of a modern, clean, friendly, beautiful metropolis for all the world to see.

It did get something else, though. It did get something significant. It got to show the spirit of their people, of accomplishing a task, of meticulous planning, of efficiency in the face of chaos.

Under the most duress, the Japanese came through. In the toughest of circumstances, they shined.

And the soldiers, even the overheated, overdressed, bored-to-tears, guarding-nothing-but-a-parking-lot soldiers kept smiling and somehow, some way made it fun.

— 

“Grading the Pandemic Olympics: How Tokyo shined,” Dan Wetzel, Yahoo Sports, 5 August 2021

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/grading-the-pandemic-olympics-how-tokyo-shined-003139112.html

-19 ( +13 / -32 )

I enjoyed them a lot. 1000x better than those lousy London Olympics, what a disaster. Most boring? Sydney, by far. So, even with the pandemic to deal with Tokyo wins!

-22 ( +5 / -27 )

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