Most Japanese support postponing or canceling Olympics, survey finds

About two-thirds of respondents in a recent Japanese survey think that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics should be either postponed further or canceled.

The poll, conducted by public broadcaster NHK and covering nearly 1,300 people, also found that people were less interested in the Games, as only 71 percent of them said they were either very interested or interested to some extent. That figure in a similar survey in March, when the events were first rescheduled, was 80 percent.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic had led to an unprecedented 12-month postponement of the Games, and as Thursday will mark a 365-day countdown of the rescheduled opening, it is still unclear whether 2021 is a realistic option.

Among those who said the Games should be canceled, 54 percent expect the pandemic to continue. Fourteen percent said they were worried about a possible rise in infections in the country, and another 14 percent said they wanted the Games' budget to be used for anti-virus measures.

The postponement is expected to cost hundreds of billions of yen, and the local organizers have already started asking contracted corporate sponsors for additional funds to help cover costs.

On Wednesday, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said the organizing committee expected to take on several new sponsors in months, while announcing that Tokyo Skytree will be among the first ones to join.

"I know that businesses are in dire circumstances because of the coronavirus but still there are companies who are coming forward to say they want to sponsor the Games, which we appreciate very much," Muto said. "It is a bright piece of news."

Key factor

Meanwhile, the Tokyo Olympics Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori said the development of vaccines and treatments would be a key factor in deciding whether to hold the Games next year, and he believes that the current situation will not continue.

"Whether the Olympics can be held or not depends on whether human beings can overcome the coronavirus or not," Mori said.

On Wednesday, Japan kicked off a travel subsidy campaign to revive domestic tourism with Tokyo excluded from the program.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that while "the government's policy to cautiously resume economic activity remains unchanged", people should avoid crowded places, close-contact settings, and confined and enclosed spaces to prevent the spread of infections as Japan enters a fourday holiday from Thursday.

However, the number of infections is still rising across Japan with 724 cases reported on Wednesday.

Agencies contributed to the story.