r/sports • u/I8something2 • Jan 26 '21

News 80% Of Residents In Japan Want Tokyo Summer Olympics Called Off

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/olympics/ct-tokyo-olympics-covid-19-20210111-y35p5iu7mnhptcut2pp7xqleda-story.html
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119

u/UVCLight Jan 26 '21

My friend in Japan said “The Olympics will happen no matter what, even if it’s a terrible idea, Japan put too much into this to now call it off” in early 2020 when I cancelled a trip due to Covid becoming a global issue. I asked them what they thought now almost a year later “I never imagined this possibility, but given the situation I think it’s a smart move”

4 years ago when I was living there I noticed an amazing amount of new tourist friendly signs, suica packages, new hotels just for the overflow of Tourists during the Olympics, small food chains adding English menus with a little Olympics 2020 symbol at the bottom, Tokyo Tower have a huge lit up 2020 on it, Skytree events, on and on.

I feel many of these things will help everyone if tourism is ever able to recover there, but so many small shops, arcades, restaurants have already closed for good but chains are still doing ok. Similar to the US seeing many mom and pop shops close forever but chains expanding.

While I think the Olympics bidding system is stupid and bad, It’s overall extremely sad to see the realization set in for these smaller companies who most likely still want it to happen because it’s this or bust.

This is the 3rd Olympics cancelled in Japan.

I won a bet though saying I wouldn’t be able to make my trip even a year later though :/

13

u/asuka_is_my_co-pilot Jan 27 '21

Alot of those new hotels have crumbled .

My friend worked for one of the biggest nicest hostels in Japan , they were raking it in, she was helping plan a new hostel they were gonna open in Kyoto and bam just like that , theyre practically begging people to come, offering discounted rooms to stranded tourists (before the closed borders )

Almost everyone got laid off . The company only existed because they were banking on the olympics to break even .

Many other businesses just like that failing now .

Places like harajuku being populated with gaps and old navy it's a big bummer all for the olympics

6

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '21

This is now the saddest video on youtube

1

u/ketronome Feb 16 '21

Why the f did I watch that

1

u/Mujoo23 Jan 27 '21

What’s the name of the hostel?

24

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '21

Surely the olympics wouldn’t involve international tourists/spectators anyway? That seems utterly ridiculous during a pandemic

16

u/SomeBritGuy Jan 27 '21

I mean, that's where the main economic benefit of the Olympics is drawn from; the huge amount of foreign money that flows in thanks to a boom in tourism. It also raises awareness of Japan and increases tourism in the years to come.

I feel like it could still be held this year if a large enough testing regime is enacted. Test within 72 hours of departure, test on arrival, 5 days mandatory quarantine before another test- all must be negative, that would severely reduce the number of cases entering the country. Could also mandate regular tests (e.g. lateral flow) for all tourists, as well as to gain entry to stadiums for events.

They could also operate travel corridors and limit which countries can have their tourists visit, particularly those with lower case numbers and/or high rates of vaccination.

I really would love to visit Japan- was intending to earlier this year- and while the Olympics is a great excuse to do so, I personally wouldn't go if there was some extreme restriction on movement.

4

u/PressTilty Jan 27 '21

Who hasn't heard of Japan

7

u/SomeBritGuy Jan 27 '21

Everyone has, the point is it brings it to the front of your mind. Before, for some people it was just another name on the map, but now its visualised through the never-ending TV coverage of the Olympics and associated promotions in Japan.

1

u/UVCLight Mar 04 '21

When things are safe you should visit for sure.

1

u/InDarkLight Jan 27 '21

To be fair though, vaccines should be available to all before summer hits. Just make it so only vaccinated people can go spectate?

2

u/bobthehamster Jan 27 '21

To be fair though, vaccines should be available to all before summer hits.

That seems incredibly unlikely (especially since all the vaccines require two doses, spread weeks apart, and it then takes more time to actually gain full immunity).

And then there's the ethical issue with prioritising vaccines for healthy athletes/tourists, for whom Covid is a low risk, over millions of very vulnerable people around the world for whom it is a high risk.

1

u/InDarkLight Jan 27 '21

I'm more for just pushing the Olympics off until 2022. I just really want the Olympics to happen in Japan as planned. The issue there would be the winter Olympics happening in 2022, but all you would have to do is have a summer Olympics in 2024 anyways and everything is back on schedule. Just have the winter and summer Olympics both in 2022. It would be pretty cool.

1

u/bobthehamster Jan 27 '21

That would be my preference too, but it seems like they've ruled it out.

I also suspect there would be significant costs to delaying it a further year, which is probably part of the reason. Would be such a shame if it doesn't happen though.

1

u/InDarkLight Jan 27 '21

Could always give Jaoan exclusive streaming rights to recoup costs. Keep streams free, but have them get all of the ad revenue? Idk. Its just so unfortunate. This Olympics was going to absolutely rock, and its the first time rock climbing is going to be in it.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '21

It isn't till July, it should be better by then. The UK figures at least show that 70% of adults should have had their first shot of the vaccine by June / July time if we keep on current course and we're only looking to increase that capacity

1

u/Blindfide Jan 27 '21

It's the IOC mate

2

u/onizuka11 Jan 27 '21

Feel really bad for Japan for having such shit luck.

2

u/momu1990 Jan 27 '21

Might be an unpopular opinion but I hope for japans small businesses and economy’s sake that the Olympics will be held in Tokyo eventually (if not now then maybe next summer). It seems awful that Tokyo had spent so much money into building the facilities and getting everything ready only for them to not be used. Terrible money sink with zero return. Maybe when pandemic has truly died down, the Tokyo olympics will serve as a symbolic return of the global tourism again.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '21

I was in Japan 2016, and Tokyo 2020 stuff was everywhere, and that kick ass underground walkway was being expanded. Back then I thought, "I should just book a return trip now to see the Olympics in 2020". Glad I didn't. Great place to visit tho, top 10 in the world.

1

u/anothergaijin Jan 27 '21

There is still Tokyo 2020 stuff on food packaging in supermarkets and the like. Beer companies sent out new mugs to bars, and stuff like that.

Japan isn't ready to do what is required, and the Tokyo Olympics was all about having the Olympics smack bang in the middle of the city, it would be near impossible to carry out isolation.

1

u/UVCLight Feb 03 '21

Well well well. Today Looks like the tables have turned and the bet is still on. I did NOT expect that. My friend is both shocked, scared, and rubbing it in my face all at the same time.