Tokyo, December 15th, the latest survey shows that more than 30% of the Japanese people hope that the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be cancelled because Japan is hit by a new wave of COVID-19.
The telephone survey was conducted by the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) last weekend. One of the main questions respondents were asked was: “Do you think the Olympic and Paralympic Games should be held in 2021?”
Of the more than 1,200 responses NHK finally received, 27% thought the Olympics should be held, 32% thought the Olympics should be cancelled, and 31% believed that the Olympics should be postponed again.
The survey shows that the attitude of the Japanese people towards the Olympic Games is closely related to the development of the epidemic. Two months ago, due to Japan’s better control of the epidemic, the government launched a series of measures to stimulate tourism and consumption, and the Japanese people’s confidence in the Olympic Games greatly increased.
NHK and Asahi Shimbun both conducted a similar survey in October, when more than 40% hoped that the Olympic Games would be held as scheduled, and only more than 20% hoped that the Olympics would be cancelled.
However, compared with half a year ago, the Japanese people have maintained a relatively high support for the Olympic Games in the past six months. According to the survey released by Japan News Network on July 6, only 17% of the respondents think the Olympic Games can be held, and as many as 77% of the respondents think that next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games will not be “unable”.
According to a survey conducted by Japan’s Kyodo News Agency in Tokyo at the end of June, more than 50% of Tokyo residents believe that the Olympic Games will be cancelled or postponed again.
The recent epidemic situation in Japan is not optimistic, and the number of confirmed cases and deaths nationwide last week reached a new high since the epidemic.
