As the one-year countdown begins for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, athletes are not the only participants preparing for the biggest battle of their career. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike agrees to do everything possible to keep the games alive.
Tokyo 2020 “can become a symbol of how the world has come together to overcome difficulties and how humanity has strengthened its ties,” Koike told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday, just weeks after securing a resounding electoral victory in the second term.
The governor declined to guarantee that the event would take place within a year, acknowledging the obstacles related to the current coronavirus pandemic.
“To make such hopeful games, we will continue to do our best to fight infectious disease,” he said.
He also recognized the importance of underpinning support for games among people in Japan. According to a survey published by the Kyodo news agency last week, less than a quarter of respondents want to see games celebrated in 2021. Just over 36% favored a further delay in games, and almost 34% think that the event should be canceled entirely, The survey found.
In addition to making sure the games run safely, the governor said he has also been tasked with keeping the costs of the event under control. The decision in March to postpone the Olympics dealt a severe blow to Tokyo’s economy at a time when the pandemic has pushed Japan into recession.
Proposals have been made to reduce aspects of the event, such as the opening and closing ceremony, which could satisfy some of the financial and health concerns. When asked if a shortened version of the games would go ahead without full viewers, Koike declined to comment, insisting that “first of all, we have to win the victory against the coronavirus.”
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike during a press conference at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government office.
Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | fake pictures
The governor has won applause for his handling of the crisis to date, which likely contributed to his stronger-than-expected electoral result earlier this month. Koike garnered the second largest number of voters in the history of the Tokyo governorate, fueling speculation about his eventual attempt to become prime minister.
However, cases of coronavirus have steadily increased since the day of the vote, raising concerns throughout the capital. Tokyo registered 237 new cases on Tuesday, slightly below a record 293 cases reported last Friday, according to Kyodo. That brings the city’s total reported cases to 9,816, according to the news agency.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government raised its alert system to the highest possible level last week, to warn residents of the risk of transmission. When asked about the upward trend, the governor noted that the number of deaths was “very limited” and that the number of serious cases was also limited, relative to the rest of the world.
Although he acknowledged the precautionary case and other preventive measures, Koike said that now was not the time to request another state of emergency, which was lifted in May.
“I think it is time to live in peace and security with the current Covid-19,” he said, and asked people and companies to participate in the ongoing fight.
Disclosure: CNBC’s father NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics owns the broadcast rights in the US for all Summer and Winter Games through 2032.
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