Tokyo 2020: 100 days to go... or not

By Harry Brown

As we look forward to a packed sporting summer where postponed major sporting events from 2020 are set to go ahead, perhaps none have quite had the momentum taken out of them like the rearranged Tokyo Olympics.

With coronavirus still ravaging parts of the globe, and an Olympic brand that is increasingly coming under scrutiny due to its partnerships and relationships with nations with poor human rights records, what was meant to be a dream event for Japan and a chance to showcase itself to the world is fast becoming a nightmare.

I was really excited about these games and eager to see the show Japan would have put on.  I was lucky enough to live in Tokyo for a year as part of my undergraduate degree, and even then, four years ago, the excitement and eagerness to host the global event was visible to see and was creating a buzz.

Advertising for the event was present, heat rebuffing tarmac was being laid, and the games were even to be used as a springboard for an anti-smoking campaign to help combat a population that, despite having one of the highest life expectancies in the world, also has one of the highest percentages of smokers. Where I lived, in a Tokyo suburb called Hiyoshi, team GB was even designated to stay in the halls of residences and use the university facilities on offer at Keio!

It wasn’t just domestically that these games represented a great opportunity. Despite having the world’s third-largest economy, more significant than any European nation, Japan has struggled for prestige and recognition worldwide. Dependent on the US for defence and not a member of the UN security council, Japan is keen to become a top global player. Like Brazil, China and Russia before them, the Olympics represented a chance for Japan utilise some soft power tools and to show the world its culture, beauty and ability to successfully host a global event.

The games were also seen as a chance to help rebuild Asian relations. When I first arrived in Japan in September 2017, North Korea tested nuclear weapons over Japanese airspace, and the threat felt very real. It was hoped the games would allow the Korea’s to take steps towards a more friendly relationship, even competing in some events together. As it stands, North Korea has pulled out of the games, and the hostile relationship in the region has intensified, with Japan reportedly about to dump one million tonnes of nuclear waste into its seas.

So, as we enter the final stretch towards the games, what could have been and what will be for Japan are very different. The wonderful Olympic village I enjoyed visiting in Shinjuku won’t welcome international visitors, local neighbours have pulled out, and Covid is still ever-present.

These factors haven’t gone unnoticed in Japanese society either. Recent polls showed 80% of the Japanese population want the games to be outright cancelled, the torch ceremony has been put on hold due to local Covid outbreaks, and the Mayor of Tokyo has publicly questioned the benefits of the games.

As a nation founded on secularisation policy and a society where the common good is more important than any individual success or prestige, perhaps the Olympic Torch going out might not be the only thing put on hold as we mark 100 days until the games officially begin.