tokyo 2020 olympics

Disappointment, dissatisfaction at no-spectator Tokyo Olympics

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"In hindsight, they did it all wrong."

Maybe in your head-in-the-sand hindsight, but others have been saying this for months, if not a year.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

Disappointment and dissatisfaction. A lot of that going around.

Yes, Thanks Suga.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Ticket holders for the Tokyo Olympics expressed disappointment Thursday, while corporate sponsors aired dissatisfaction

Ticket holders disappointed, corporate sponsors disappointed, so who really happy then?

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Perhaps if the IOC was willing to compromise and delay the games this all would not have happened. This is 100% on the shoulders of the IOC.

Bach and the gang's arrogance and their unabashed narcissim dictating that "the games must be held even if there is a State of Emergency" has led to this situation. If they could wait perhaps even 4 months the situation would likely be much different.

The full blame for this is on the IOC (who does not seem to want to take the blame for anything - even requring athletes to sign a liability waiver which specifically identifies Covid-19).

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/olympic-leaders-are-making-sure-the-tokyo-games-are-safe-e2-80-94-from-liability/ar-AALUWAb?ocid=uxbndlbing

As the article states: the Olympic organizers are making sure the games are safe - safe for the IOC from any liabilities.

11 ( +14 / -3 )

Did we expect any less from the ill-prepared TOCJOCLDP for their current “Occupying” contingent? -

7 ( +8 / -1 )

This ‘Triumvirate of Failures’ lied to theirhopeful’ & ‘positivu’ supporters while continuing to suck every last en from the overall populace while they Never had a plan.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

And Media ‘played her part’. How many headlines, for weeks and months, read “considering,…”, etc?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I do not understand in a stadium of 60,000 people why you cannot spread 5,000-10,000 people across the stadium and do it safely. It has worked well in the rest of the world for sports. Much more safe than packing everyone on the trains during commuting times or everyone rushing to eat together in packed restaurants during lunch or before 8pm. The concept of social distancing just does not seem to resonate here with this government.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

I feel sorry for the ticket holders — raw deal all around and they’re not going to get a full refund.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

@smithinjapan

I feel sorry for the ticket holders — raw deal all around and they’re not going to get a full refund.

I share the same empathy. I would support an Olympics which are not held during a State of Emergency (it is not a real State of Emergency when they invite athletes and support staff from all over the world for completely unnecessary games). A delay would allow ticket holders to use their tickets. Those that cannot should get a full, 100% refund. The IOC needs to take their cut somehow so they will confiscate money from those who cannot attend.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I do not understand in a stadium of 60,000 people why you cannot spread 5,000-10,000 people across the stadium and do it safely. It has worked well in the rest of the world for sports.

Even here they have been doing baseball games with this amount and I have yet to hear about any spread. I went to the first Hanshin Tigers game at the beginning of the year at the Kyocera Dome. They didn't let me in unless I went downstairs to get a note from staff after taking my temperature by walking through a machine. Ushers were watching fans like hawks pouncing on people taking off masks or even kids trying to sit next to their parents.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Still many vips, sponsor guest dignitaries , politicians etc going who will be the only spectators. “ let them eat cake “ is the motto of this games as the dignitaries dine at their banquets after their private viewing of the games catching up with each other!

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Shrug. Oh well……

We all saw this coming. We all knew it.

There’s no hindsight is 20-20, there’s only fools who thought the Gov’t and IOC actually knew what they were doing.

No sympathy for the sponsors who thought they could cash in but now will lose money. They should’ve dropped out in March 2020.

No sympathy for ticket holders who won’t get a refund.

The blame is 100000000000% on the IOC, JOC, and any of the Japanese government.

This whole mess should’ve been handled with a lot more care and professionalism.

Japan could’ve been a lot more vaccinated, but they botched it.

Fans still could have attended events in smaller numbers, but organizers got arrogant.

Truly no winners here except for the fat cats who will get their cuts and run off into the night.

Let’s go Karma!!!!!

9 ( +12 / -3 )

As the Japanese capital grapples with a resurgence of infections, the government decided Thursday to put Tokyo under a state of emergency from Monday to Aug. 22.

what does that even mean? what exactly is going to change?

10 ( +12 / -2 )

 do not understand in a stadium of 60,000 people why you cannot spread 5,000-10,000 people across the stadium and do it safely. 

Ever been to a restaurant in Japan and been the second people in. Guess where you are sitting, crammed up again the first people elbow to elbow in an empty room. It's the Jp way.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

smithinjapanToday  07:43 am JST

I feel sorry for the ticket holders — raw deal all around and they’re not going to get a full refund.

Nope. Ticket holders will be fully refunded.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Be dissatisfied and disaapointed all you want. Your masters have spoken.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@Aly Rustom

As the Japanese capital grapples with a resurgence of infections, the government decided Thursday to put Tokyo under a state of emergency from Monday to Aug. 22.

what does that even mean? what exactly is going to change?

I believe all of us who live here know exactly what that means.

Prime Minister Bach has dictated to his minions Suga and Koike the terms of Japan's response.

or...... perhaps Lord Bach will magically carry the virus out of Japan when the games are finished.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Judge SmailsToday  07:42 am JST

I do not understand in a stadium of 60,000 people why you cannot spread 5,000-10,000 people across the stadium and do it safely. It has worked well in the rest of the world for sports. Much more safe than packing everyone on the trains during commuting times or everyone rushing to eat together in packed restaurants during lunch or before 8pm. 

I think the concern is that most spectators might need to go through a bottleneck of a train station to get to the stadium. But you make a lot of sense. The real reason for the decision is more likely an abundance of caution because most leaders don’t want to be held accountable if COVID-19 conditions worsen -- like they certainly may.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I believe all of us who live here know exactly what that means.

Prime Minister Bach has dictated to his minions Suga and Koike the terms of Japan's response.

or...... perhaps Lord Bach will magically carry the virus out of Japan when the games are finished.

thanks for the clarification- spot on!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

TokyoJoeToday  08:04 am JST

 Ever been to a restaurant in Japan and been the second people in. Guess where you are sitting, crammed up again the first people elbow to elbow in an empty room. It's the Jp way.

I agree. There is no concept of social distancing here and the vast majority of restaurants here just do not care and pack as many people on top of one another as possible. I wish the government would wake up and realize this is one of the main contributors of the spread and not eating out past 8pm, the "evil" alcohol, or the foreigners bringing it in from overseas.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Baseball, soccer stadiums and other events do allow spectators. It has not been any problem.

Shameful decision from this arrogant government

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

It is possible to allow a restricted number of fans in a planned and controlled stadium. Other countries have done this successfully at major sporting events. However, it needs to be planned and controlled. I guess that counts Tokyo out.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Disappointed???!!!! Where have you been for the last two years??? Moon or Mars or some other distant planet? Here on earth there is COVID pandemic with over 4 million dead and you are disappointed that the Olympics will be held without spectators?? The fact they are being held at all is outrageous beyond words!

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Nope. Ticket holders will be fully refunded.

I should clarify that the total refund applies to tickets purchased inside Japan. For those whose only choice was to purchase tickets through questionably ethical organizations like Cosport, which was heavily marketing tickets when it became likely that overseas spectators were going to be banned, I certainly have empathy for you.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Even the athletes must be disappointed - This is by far the dumbest event I've witnessed in my entire life.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

We all get to share the sacrifice. The Olympic basketball team from Hungary and the French Volleyball team showed up for training here on Okinawa. ...... spectators.... Yup!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I live down the street from the stadium. I'm not disappointed at all!

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

So Ms Biden is not coming to Japan.

Or is it no-plebeians ?

It could not be that considering the number of guest attending the things the only solution to avoid having too many people in stadium was to get rid of the commoners, right ?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Serious question -- why couldn't they have just postponed it another year? I get that canceling outright is extremely difficult for many reasons. So why not just wait another year???

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Boo hoo. Get over it.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

This is what happened to all the foreigner who were holding tickets. Despite living in Japan I had several tickets bought from the France reseller in 2019 that were cancelled last May. Still waiting for the refund.

it is a pity as I was so happy to think about taking my kids there back then however things are what they are and the situation is complicated.

Also wished they delayed enough to allow for à proper Olympics but we know this is not happening.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

They blew it due to a combination of denial of the situation, inept rollout of the vaccines, and worse of all, a selfish decision to postpone the Olympics for only 1 year as opposed to 2 (which the IOC offered).

If Abe had not wanted the glory of being the PM at the time of the Olympics and had gone with a 2 year delay, we would not be about to see Tokyo miss it's chance to show the world what it can do.

Such a wasted opportunity for Japan.

You can bet that the Beijing winter Olympics will be packed full of Chinese spectators, and the world will compare these two events.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

"I'm so disappointed," said 69-year-old Masamichi Tamai, who had tickets for five events, including track and field, and tennis. Tamai, who was a spectator at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, added he was looking forward to experiencing the unique atmosphere of the games again.

This guy is lucky he already experienced the Olympics. For most, it was their once in a lifetime chance, and now it has been ripped away. And for what? 1 death per day in Tokyo? And that is supposed to be a pandemic? Meanwhile every other aspect of life goes on as normal.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

@Zoroto I have an extremely hard time to believe that anybody in Japan would "pounce on" anybody for any reason. Certainly not an elderly usher at a baseball game.

I beg to differ. The anti-tattoo, no-fun rental cops at my beach are ready to pounce on any shirtless, inked foreigners they see because...safety or something.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Overall - the Great Puppet Show and your masters pulling your strings!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Sorry, I have an extremely hard time to believe that anybody would in Japan would "pounce on" anybody for any reason. Certainly not an elderly usher at a baseball game.

Go and find out for yourself. Elderly usher? Most of the ushers are 20s-40s.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The left hand doesn’t know what the right had is doing. If only Japan had rolled out the vaccinations then the virus may have been more in control. This would have allowed more movement, perhaps.

Why not allow those who have been fully vaccinated with tickets to attend? Oh, this is too much like common sense . This is similarly what venues in the United States have been doing.

it’s a shame and poor planning . If Japan could only learn how to “think outside the box” High on technology. Low on common sense.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Judge SmailsJuly 9  07:42 am JST

I do not understand in a stadium of 60,000 people why you cannot spread 5,000-10,000 people across the stadium and do it safely. It has worked well in the rest of the world for sports. Much more safe than packing everyone on the trains during commuting times or everyone rushing to eat together in packed restaurants during lunch or before 8pm. The concept of social distancing just does not seem to resonate here with this government.

It's simple. They are weak and made a weak decision after months of putting it off.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's simple. They are weak and made a weak decision after months of putting it off.

In the end, it is about saving face, as it always is in Japan. If even 1 person caught the virus, the massgomi would have a field day with it. And the massgomi could care less if there were fans in the stadiums, as they are allowed in to broadcast it anyway. The massgomi really are the scum of the earth.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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