Tokyo Organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday. Photo: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool via AP
tokyo 2020 olympics

Tokyo Olympic Village considering ban on alcohol

65 Comments
By STEPHEN WADE

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

65 Comments
Login to comment

This makes perfect sense. However I wonder what the "penalty" will be. I would say if anyone is caught they get sent to the gulaug.

-14 ( +4 / -18 )

@olympicsupport

The penalty will be masklessly riding the yamanote line for a full revolution in rush hour. Let's hope Bach is caught with a strong 7 in his room.

8 ( +15 / -7 )

Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the Tokyo organizing committee, said Wednesday it might be difficult to ban alcohol from the athletes' private rooms in the village, but public areas in the village might be a different matter.

“In the case that they were to drink inside their own rooms — this is equivalent to cases where we are drinking in our own home." Muto said, speaking to Japanese media on Wednesday after an online meeting with the International Olympic Committee executive board.

“Can we prohibit that? That’s not conceivable," Muto added. “It would be very difficult to do so.”

God save Japan from petty, rule-crazed bureaucrats who think making a "rule" is a substitute for having a well-stated goal and a plan to effectively achieve it.

17 ( +22 / -5 )

But he said it might be banned from dining areas and other public areas in the village.

In case they extend the SOE with an alcohol ban for restaurants and bars in the Tokyo area, the Olympic village must be included.

They can not forbid alcohol for the Tokyo people at their restaurants, but for the athlets in the olympic village restaurants it is allowed.

But to forbid drinking in their own rooms is nonsens.

Anyway, when athlets are under a big sport competition, I guess they dont drink.

Maybe after the games, but then they are supposed to go back home.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Athletes don’t need alcohol”. - Perhaps they will need more condoms instead?

11 ( +19 / -8 )

This has got be the most unfun Olympics evah!

26 ( +28 / -2 )

This is a rule only Japanese will follow

18 ( +21 / -3 )

So @Monty 7:24pm is this measure, a ‘trial run’, similar to the LDP’s proposed special “Emergency Powers”, creating little “bubble dictatorships”…

*- “They can not forbid alcohol for the Tokyo people, but for the athletes in the Olympic village it is allowed.”*

… within Japan’s “democracy” ? Japan is sure using this big event to try out many new things on it’s people. The Olympics are a perfect ‘proving ground’.

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

Not sounding like a whole lot of fun, but I will wait for the newest, newest, newest 357 page play book and see if they forgot to urge something. The hall monitors are in for a headache I suspect.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Worst. Olympics. Ever.

And I don't even drink. These Olympics may get me to start though. They're going to be depressing.

19 ( +20 / -1 )

Great! Take away all of the fun out of the Olympics!

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Worst olympics eveer

7 ( +9 / -2 )

I assume most will leave the village after completing their events with or without the ban. It going to be a very Japanese controlled environment with all these protocol of daily testing mask wearing and social distancing. Or enjoy the rest of your time somewhere else in Japan. I can think of a few choice place to be then in a control environment.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Alcohol = truth

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Except for hand sanitizer of course...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Buckfast for Breakfast!

5 ( +8 / -3 )

First No international fans, then GPS's on reporters, now NO alcohol, Next NO Sex, NO Drugs, NO Wine, NO Women, NO Fun, NO Sin, No wonder it's Dark.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Yep! They don’t want those drunken foreigners upsetting the ‘wa’. That’s the locals’ job.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Tokyo Olympic Village considering ban on alcohol

Only after 8pm though, right?

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the Tokyo organizing committee, said Wednesday it might be difficult to ban alcohol

> Can we prohibit that? That’s not conceivable," Muto added. “It would be very difficult to do so.”

Oh really Muto? No ones ever said that before. Change “might be” to “will be”, ok, now you got it!

Depending how the question is asked, 50-80% of Japanese people oppose holding the Olympics.

How would you change the question to make it go from 50 to 80%?

Wait, I know…..

”Will Suga and his cronies hold the olympics, despite what the public says?”

80% says yes.

“Will Japan make money off of the olympics, and therefore be good for the economy?”

50% says yes.

“Do you want the tokyo olympics in 2021 to happen?”

80% says no…..while the other 20 will benefit with some kind of significant cash payout when it happens.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I know it is hard to believe but other countries are not filled with Alcoholism like another country we know::::cough::: Japan.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

It is just another fake move to placcate the people with” you can not drink alcohol in restaurants so the athletes will be told not to drink during the olympics” Childish, patronising and pathetic. Athletes do drink , but usually after a competition and not in the Olympic village when others there stil have to compete. Some exceptions as always. Better watch the coaches and journalists for that

5 ( +6 / -1 )

It's going to be hilarious, and depressing af the same time, to see authorities trying to clamp down on EVERY movement of the athletes and officials. The foreign media and social influencers are going to have an absolute ball with this.

Convenience store, anyone? I can actually see stores being instructed not to sell alcohol to foreigners for the duration of the Olympics.

To the athletes: just pull out already! Only you have the power to put an end to this madness.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

If I was part of this debacle I wouldn't be concerned about drinking...I'd be thinking about how soon I could catch a plane outta here!

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Next, no talking will be allowed in the village.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Yet every ignorant, unvaccinated, untested and infested Taro involved with the Olympics will around unrestricted. Naturally because the three times tested, isolated and more than likely vaccinated foreigners are the dangerous ones.

The superiority complex, fear of the unknown, and density of the people in charge here is infuriating.

If you want to make it Japan VS the dirty gaikoku do it properly. Actually isolate the athletes 100% percent from Japanese.

The Japanese "Mindo" (read: incompetence) won't protect foreign athletes from being infected by Japanese people. Take some real action not this GPS drinking BS.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I guess the famous hedonistic olympic village orgys are not happening this time

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Good luck with that. Another clear indication that Japan does not understanding anything outside its own walls.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

No fun allowed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWWwM2wwMww

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Yeah, we all know that after Muto makes this decision he'll go celebrate it at a drinking party with more than 30 people, no masks, and hostesses, in ties with NTT (and Suga's son).

6 ( +6 / -0 )

They're all going to be vaccinated, so I don't understand what the fuss is about.

I saw the Aussie softball team on TV - who are all vaccinated - at mealtime separated from each other by those plastic see-thru shields, forbidden from speaking to one another. It's an internment camp. The irony is that us - the general population - are the only ones who aren't vaccinated. So, I don't see why these poor people need to be the targets and victims of Japan's incompetence. Every time Japan has been in foreign news in recent years it's been due to one shortcoming or another. This place is fast becoming the laughing stock of planet Earth.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

You know, sooner or later some wag tabloid is going to rename Tokyo Olympics, the concentration camp games

After each event, competitors will be frog marched to there cell with only a pot noodle, and a non alcoholic beverage as company.

Apparently, Big X, is organizing an escape committee, tunnel kings will burrow there way to the nearest Izakaya. They are planning to take out 650 per day. There will be maps and compasses.

Maybe that could become an new event, 400 meters burrowing.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Exactly, this makes perfect sense (to confirm the clueless grandmasters of ignorance).

Ban the sportsmen and - women to celebrate their victories in 20 squaremeter cells rather than creating outdoor areas where they can party.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Please consider banning the Olympics altogether instead.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Let’s just enjoy the games and not squabble over little things like this. Not long to go now and with the safety measures in place, they will be totally safe.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Just cancel the whole mess....

4 ( +7 / -3 )

It makes me want to become an Olympic athlete just so I can go break the rule and get kicked out of the Olympic Village before my event, and then have a press conference at Narita on my way out to lob some verbal manure back over the fence into Tokyo.

I hope the last person in Japan shuts the lights off on the way out, what the hell has happened to that place over the last 20 years?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

No alcohol and being forced watching Japanese "funny" TV shows with huge zoom-ins on chopsticks with standard ramen and everyone shouting うまーい, わー美味しそう, めちゃくちゃうっまそう.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Sure!!! They don't think that people can bring all kind of alcoholic beverages in an ordinary 500cc pet bottle, do they. Like Vodka and coke in a cola bottle or Whisky in a tea bottle. Are these people using their brains or something else...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I's scary how close The Tokyo Olympics are starting to mirror the movie franchise, "The Hunger Games"

3 ( +4 / -1 )

with the safety measures in place, they will be totally safe.

You keep repeating this claim again and again and again.

Not even the IOC or Japanese government would be brazen enough to claim the Games would will be ‘totally safe’.

They’re undoubtedly doing what they can to make the Games as safe as possible under the circumstances, but saying they’ll be ‘totally safe’…no.

In short, ramp down the hyperbole.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The fun police are in action. GPS, no kanpai, no hugs, fist bumps only.

Make it as tough as possible to have a normal games so the IOC will consider to delay it.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I’d be more worried about all the bed swapping.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Is there actually a competition for the worst idea ?

Because it really look like it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

blvtzpk

Mr Bach has already declared these will be the safest games ever and if there were any doubt that they would be cancelled. The safety procedures are intense and ongoing as the experts watch how low the Covid numbers fall weekly.This way they assess everything to ensure everyone’s safety

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Mr Bach has already declared these will be the safest games ever and if there were any doubt that they would be cancelled. 

Can you link to a direct quote for this claim?

The official IOC site has this quote from him (dated January 27, 2021) which seems to contradict the second half of your statement:

“We are not speculating on whether the Games are taking place. We are working on how the Games will take place.”

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-president-reaffirms-commitment-to-the-olympic-games-tokyo-2020

There is no word there about canceling the Games (as you’ve claimed), just a commitment to them being conducted.

The rest of the page goes into reassurances, and discusses “priorities” and “commitments”, but there’s no 100% “totally safe” guarantees given.

I don’t doubt they’re doing what they can, but they’re not offering rock-solid guarantees as you keeping saying they are doing.

I may be wrong, so that’s why I’m asking for a direct quote.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women

No fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark

Everyone around me is a total stranger

Everyone avoids me like a psyched Lone Ranger, everyone

3 ( +4 / -1 )

No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women

No fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark

Everyone around me is a total stranger

Everyone avoids me like a psyched Lone Ranger, everyone

*Cannot believe it took this long for this quote. Tres apropos.

Should be able to post gifs and videos

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The beverage companies that are sponsoring the games will put a swift halt to this petty dictators nonsense.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The Dame! Dame!! Games.

I’ll pass. Would rather have my wisdom teeth pulled

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Tokyo Olympic Village considering ban on alcohol

As an Irishman, I'm compelled to protest against this cruel and unusual punishment.

Some of these athletes have been denied social and other intercourse for over a year already.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

So with this and other restrictions on the athletes, does Koike still think this will be a wonderful Olympics? I wonder what her definition of "wonderful" is?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And the word of the year will be "Dry Omotenashi"

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The phrase "lead balloon" comes to mind.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

FFS:

It’s going on 5 1/2 hours since I asked you to post a link to where the IOC president’s ‘declaration’ could be found.

*Mr Bach has already declared these will be the safest games ever and if there were any doubt that they would be cancelled. *

Do you have a link to this ‘declaration’, or have you been putting your own spin on what has been said?

If there’s no link from you, I can comfortably assume it’s the latter.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I went to an Internet cafe the other day. They stopped selling alcohol due to Covid, but you can bring in your own alcohol. Japan, the land that logic forgot!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Next they will ban laughing and cheering

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The beer sponsors should get their billions back

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites