People walk by the countdown clock for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games near Shimbashi Station in Tokyo on Thursday. Photo: AP/Kantaro Komiya
tokyo 2020 olympics

Olympics chief says cancelation unlikely with 50 days to go

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Of course like millions I used to enjoy watching the Olympics. Now zero interest. I wish for Japan to punish these fossils when voting

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How about the new variant found in Japan?

Never mind the games are coming....

1 ( +2 / -1 )

QUESTION: Why does the J O C & the I O C want to kill you?

ANSWER: Lots of Cash in their pockets.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

More people are killed by illnesses like cardiovascular diseases, strokes and cancer than by Covid

You do understand that cardiovascular diseases, strokes and cancer are not spread by people gathering in large numbers?

a handful of deaths

Over 13,200 in Japan so far, nearly 4 million worldwide. You must have enormous hands.

it is not a genuinely serious problem

Try telling that to the families that are missing loved ones. Not to mention those who have 'recovered' from covid and now find themselves with permanently-damaged organs and the likelihood of never being properly healthy again.

for many, sportsmen and spectators, it is their sporting highlight

sport | noun

*1 an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others *for entertainment

I fail to see how any activity done in the name of entertainment takes precedence over people's health and lives.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It's obvious that the Olympics will go ahead. This is far too important an event to be cancelled just because of a handful of deaths. More people are killed by illnesses like cardiovascular diseases, strokes and cancer than by Covid, so it is not a genuinely serious problem (no matter how much people panic about this). I'm not particular bothered about the Olympics myself, but acknowledge that for many, sportsmen and spectators, it is their sporting highlight.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Purposefully done; let's wait.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

What counts as "extreme circumstances"? Is a pandemic not "extreme circumstances"? Do we need the 10 biblical plagues to befall upon us before they doom us all with these Olympics?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

"Gaiatusu" only works when it is in Japan's self- interest in order to appease home audiences when Japanese themselves want something to change, (though may posting here don't seem to know that).

Who is ‘may’?

Is it a loony code word?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Overseas fans have already been barred, and a decision on whether to allow domestic spectators is expected after the state of emergency in Tokyo ends on June 20.

A typical carpet negotiation tactic showing first a max price is going underway. I guess that no spectator is the last and real defense line set by the IOC.

Regardless of the local virus situation, I think it plausible to revisit the raison d'etre of Olympic events per se, not merely one in Tokyo but afterwards. Even though they press hard to make the Tokyo Games happen safely and without huge financial loss (for the account of IOC), the future for the Olympics and IOC will be extremely bleak. For example, many of prospective host candidate cities (embedded sources of income for the IOC and its affiliates) have already started to show cold shoulders. The current process is revealing the rip-off corrupt culture of the Olympic tradition.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Suga and Hashimoto have inspired me to think of a new way of describing this tragic farce:

オリンピク 玉砕 .

the "Crushed Jewels" of the Olympics. Gyokusai referring to the Japanese soldiers and civilians sacrificed during the Pacific War.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Reckless From September I am interested how China will handle their upcoming Olympics. They will surely encounter the same problems. I disagree China already has figured out how to combat the propaganda scheme!! They will say every citizen in China has been vaccinated and that no one has tested positive in months and they have tight protections in place to combat any new viruses.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

So the "Chief doesn't think a "PANDEMIC is extreme circumstances?? The Tokyo Olympics chief on Thursday said the Games would only be canceled in extreme circumstances.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Good!

"Gaiatusu" only works when it is in Japan's self- interest in order to appease home audiences when Japanese themselves want something to change, (though may posting here don't seem to know that).

Bring it on.

Go Japan.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

As someone with family in Japan he can't currently visit, I'm starting to think the Olympics are a good thing, for my family, anyway.

Perhaps now, after months of fumbling around, Japan will finally start to vaccinate on the scale we've seen in the US.

That is my only chance of visiting in 2021, methinks. And I want a proper visit- hiking, onsen overnighters min the mountains, driving around visiting old neighbors and friends... I don't want to be stuck in some quarantine in my in-laws house for two weeks, even if I can enter the country.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

‘Extreme circumstances’, what, like a pandemic or something?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

So, once again, @TARATANKITAOKA 7:18pm,

- “Totally irresponsible and do not care about Japanese sentiments. Japanese taxpayers will be very unhappy.” -

As a ‘citizen’ here, You have ‘a voice’, Will YOU vote against them?

(We’ve asked before and you never seem to pledge your answer.)

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Totally irresponsible and do not care about Japanese sentiments. Japanese taxpayers will be very unhappy.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

The use of "unlikely" is interesting. A week or two ago there was no chance of the Olympics being cancelled. Are they hoping countries will drop out and force a cancellation?

If the IOC or JOC will not cancel, immigration and quarantine should do what is in their power, what is their right to do. They should refuse to be overruled by the JOC or a foreign body, the IOC. They should treat all connected with the Olympics as they treat others, as they treated permanent residents last year.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

So. Since this COVID bs. Iv been going to a jp bar in Chiba city it’s open daily 11am-5am the next day. They have a contact tracing system in place. And not one person since the beginning of this bs has gotten COVID. COVID is real. But something else is going on. For the jp government it’s ok to have the olympics. It’s ok to have super packed trains in the mornings and in evenings. The olympics if they must go on is pure about the revenue It generates. But no wait….. let’s shut down bars and stores at 8/9pm. In some countryside places up north it’s business as usual bars/night clubs/ izakaya’s…….. A lot of things here in jp is backwards……. But who am I. Just anot

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Good Job! I can't wait to see my favorite Olympians compete in person!

I'll bet any money that without googling it, there is not even ONE Olympic athlete you could name!

ANd I highly doubt you are Japanese, and dont live here either, so you wont be seeing any athletes except on your TV at, more than likely zero-dark-30!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Presumably the IOC gets to define “extreme circumstances” in whatever way benefits them in steamrollering this nonsense through.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Also once the Olympics are over the should convert the athletes brand new hotels in to a covid dedicated hospitals to house and care for the sick

0 ( +3 / -3 )

once the Olympics are over life will be back to normal for a change. Been tired of listening to news about Olympic Olympic let it happen and move on.

-9 ( +0 / -9 )

That's good news for Tokyo and as planned will lift the spirit of the Tohoku people!

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

The people of Jaoan will be pay for this, that is the tax payer, until kingdon come, that is on top of all tbe debt.

You really don't think you get sonething for nothing?

If so, you are up poo creek without a paddle.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

this is irresponsible. It's a doomsday clock at this point

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Tokyo Olympics must be postponed. We don't have any good points to host it. If we make a huge cluster, Japanese reputation will be lost and the economy is also decreased. If it is held as scheduled, we are no longer excited.spectators are not able to enter the stadium, famous players rejected to join the match, and so on. Anyway, little by little for us, the game looks unattractive recently...

POSTPONE ASAP..........

1 ( +4 / -3 )

This is great news for those of us around the world who root for/follow our nations' athletes as they compete on the competition fields of battle. Bring on the Tokyo Olyimpics!!!

-12 ( +3 / -15 )

Better that than the covid lottery

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Buying a new flat screen TV would have been cheaper than that Olympic seat “win”.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

My wife won a raffle and had the privilege to buy a ticket (the equivalent of $US800) last year to secure two seats for 1 day at a swimming event at the Olympics. Most expensive win I ever experienced. I guess it’s a Japanese thing.

Anyway, to this day we cannot get confirmation if we can attend, if it’s canceled, or if we can even get a refund. What kind of service is that?

Nobody seems to know what’s going on. As much as I hate to say this, Japan and it’s leadership could use some class action lawsuits aimed their way to straighten them out. Never have I seen such reckless bubbling.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

I was sure it was never getting cancelled, it's just not Japanese to quit, not in their culture.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Lol...These Olympic clowns and this event have just turned out to become parodies of hungry, selfish, corporate greed.

''If various countries around the world experience very serious situations''.

Oh so Japan's actual situation is not viewed as 'very serious'??

''But in a sign of the challenges ahead, a member of Ghana's Under-24 Olympic soccer team tested positive upon arriving in Japan for a friendly late on Wednesday.''

Athletes will only arrive a few days before their events, and will not mix with the local populace???

10 ( +11 / -1 )

The Tokyo Olympics chief on Thursday said the Games would only be canceled in extreme circumstances.

Worst global pandemic in a century not “extreme enough”?

Specially considering cases in Japan are out of control, only a tiny portion of the population vaccinated (most with only one dose of the vaccine). On top of that you want to bring people from what 150 different countries?

If this is not extreme enough to cancel...

16 ( +18 / -2 )

They who, they are have devoted our life savings on hop skip and jump, think about that.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

This is an interesting turn of events.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So, what happens if there is a sudden increase of the number of cases in Tokyo and the health systems gives up?

Exactly. It's a version of the dead cat. "Look, over there!" So this is these immoral people basically saying that right here, what we know is right in front of our noses, is irrelevant to the decision. and national teams are also supposed to defer to Daddy, the IOC. Never mind the risk they may carry back to their country on the plane home. And to cap it all, the government of the host country says "it is not up to us". This is madness.

16 ( +16 / -0 )

I can' wait until the games start!!!

Join the club. See you in Paris!!!

11 ( +13 / -2 )

"If various countries around the world experience very serious situations, and delegations from most countries can't come, then we wouldn't be able to hold it,"

‘Most’ countries. So if half don’t show you’ll still do it? Acknowledged that this is a poorly translated sentence.

They’re going to be the hollowest gold medal wins in history.

16 ( +17 / -1 )

"If various countries around the world experience very serious situations, and delegations from most countries can't come, then we wouldn't be able to hold it," she told the Nikkan Sports daily. "But conversely, unless such a situation emerges, the Games will not be canceled."

So, what happens if there is a sudden increase of the number of cases in Tokyo and the health systems gives up? people dying in their homes, exhausted doctors and nurses quitting or becoming unable to work, volunteers getting fevers and coughs frequently, etc?

If the organizers can only accept lack of participation as the reason for cancellation this obviously means it does not matter what happens in the host city or what cost the event may have.

18 ( +21 / -3 )

And from the BBC:

"If it should happen that a country cannot come to Japan because they do not meet the minimum requirements that the government set, I think that is something we have to listen to what the IOC and IPC feel about that."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/57329388

And why is the Japanese Gvt'/JOC listening to what anyone other than what their residents have to 'feel about'?!

Sums it all up right there...

18 ( +19 / -1 )

a

9 ( +9 / -0 )

“canceled only under extreme circumstances.”

wow - hard to believe holding an international competition in the midst of a global pandemic isn’t extreme enough.

24 ( +26 / -2 )

Good Job! I can't wait to see my favorite Olympians compete in person!

I second that, the only olympic thing i care about is women’s beach volley ball and hopefully I can watch that in an air Conditioned bar while drinking a beer.

-28 ( +3 / -31 )

Hashimoto basically says it is up to the participating countries to decide if the games go ahead. The big players are all in (USA, China, Russia, Australia...) so it looks like the 50 day countdown continues. Vaccinations are ramping up daily (currently 500K and growing) which will bring Japan to 50M (at least first shot) by the start of the games... That is a little more than half the eligible population who want it. Things will slowly improve. Support your local merchants!

-25 ( +3 / -28 )

I can' wait until the games start!!! I look forward to seeing Japanese win gold medals and the Japanese Flag fly above all others and the Kimigyo being played.

Nippon! Nippon!!!

-37 ( +5 / -42 )

No surprises, .... yet!

13 ( +14 / -1 )

But in a sign of the challenges ahead, a member of Ghana's Under-24 Olympic soccer team tested positive upon arriving in Japan for a friendly late on Wednesday, the Japan Football Association said.

All of Ghana's team, who will play Japan's U24s on Saturday, tested negative in the 72 hours before their departure.

This will not be the last time this happens. We will have to deal with every Greek alphabet variant before all is said and done.

31 ( +33 / -2 )

Shame shame shame.

Japan will never be able to wipe out the damage these games will do.

26 ( +37 / -11 )

y'know- all we hear every day is how the Olympics are not going to be cancelled.. they keep repeating it like its a mantra or a chant...

Methinks they are edging closer and closer to cancellation, and THAT'S why its always in the headlines that the Olympics are on.. the Olympics will not be cancelled.. and then one day, just like that we'll wake up to find them cancelled.

but of course I have been wrong before. I'm just saying that is what its starting to look like TO ME.

34 ( +38 / -4 )

Good Job! I can't wait to see my favorite Olympians compete in person!

-46 ( +8 / -54 )

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