Japan firms oppose Games

TOKYO: More than half of Japanese firms believe the Tokyo Olympic Games should be cancelled or postponed, a survey by thinktank Tokyo Shoko Research showed yesterday, casting further doubt over the fate of the troubled Games.

Japan is struggling to contain Covid19 and lags behind Western countries in rolling out vaccines, even as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga vowed to get conditions in place to host the once postponed Summer Olympics from July 23.

The survey, conducted online on February 18, showed 56.0% of the companies polled feel Japan should cancel or postpone the Games, up from 53.6% in the previous survey in August.

Only 7.7% of the firms surveyed said the Games should proceed in full form as scheduled this year, down from 22.5% in the previous survey.

Nearly 20% said the Games should be held with a limited number of spectators, while another 17% said it should proceed with no spectators, the survey showed.

More than 70% firms said cancelling or postponing the Games would barely have any impact on their earnings.

The survey, which covered more than 11,000 firms, was conducted before Friday's resignation of Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori over sexist remarks that left the Olympics searching for a chief five months from the opening ceremony. — Reuters