Japan’s Olympic tensions heighten

The IOC is standing firm over the mounting public backlash in Japan against the Olympics, fuelled by the ongoing Covid-19 emergency


PREFECTURES UNDER STATE OF EMERGENCY 
Kyoto
Hyogo 
Okayama 
Fukuoka 
Okinawa
Hokkaido
JAPAN
Tokyo 
Aichi
Hiroshima
Osaka


NEW COVID-19 CASES IN JAPAN (7-day average)

Feb 21, 2020: First Covid-19 infections recorded

Mar 24: IOC postpones Olympics to 2021

Mar 7, 2021: Fourth wave of infections begins

Apr 23: State of emergency declared

May 23: 4,970

Jul 21: Olympics due to open

Jun 20: Emergency measures may be extended to this date

8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000 
0
Mar A M J J A S O N D Jan F M A M J J
2020		      2021

 
POLLS: Should Tokyo Olympics go ahead?

Business response*
37% 	32%
Cancel 	Postpone	Other

Public response†
43% 	40%
Cancel 	Postpone


*Reuters Survey (conducted May 6-17). †Asahi Shimbun national newspaper poll (May 15-16) 


Sources: Japan Times, Reuters, France 24 
Picture: Getty Images 
© GRAPHIC NEWS