Tokyo Olympics: Survey reports 78% Japanese citizens opposing Summer Games amid COVID

The scheduling of the Tokyo Olympics 2021 has been the major talking point for a while as several Japanese citizens have urged Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to cancel the Summer games. The Tokyo Olympics 2021 are scheduled to take place from 23 July to 8 August. As per a recent survey, nearly 78 % of Japanese citizens oppose hosting the Olympics amid the COVID scare.

Japanese community against hosting Tokyo Olympics 2021

As per a global survey conducted last year, 6 in 10 citizens in the international community were against the scheduling of the Tokyo Olympics in the midst of a raging pandemic. India showed polarized views as 1 in 2 Indians were in favour of the Olympics being held. Meanwhile, host nation Japan by far had the highest disapproval rate for hosting the Olympics as approximately 78 % of the population were against this idea.

Favourite Olympic Games according to report

As per the report, Indians were most interested in football (37 %), badminton (36 %), tennis (28 %), athletics/ track and field (26 %), boxing (17 %), gymnastics (15 %), cycling (14 %), among others. Meanwhile, global citizens were most interested in watching football (30 %), athletics/ track & field (27 %), aquatics (22 %), gymnastics (21 %), volleyball (13 %), tennis (12 %), basketball (12 %), cycling (10 %), boxing (8 %) and badminton (6 %).

Impact of Olympics on society according to report

According to the results of the report conducted across 28 countries, most people believed that the Olympics had a positive impact in inspiring further generations. At least 80 % of the global citizens backed this view, whereas only 59 % of the Japanese citizens believed in this view.

Based on the report, the overriding view across nations is that the Olympic Games is an opportunity for countries to bond together. 6 in 10 global citizens backed this view, with the view being most endorsed in Turkey (81 %), Saudi Arabia (81 %), China (79 %), Italy (78 %), India (78 %) and Peru (77 %). Meanwhile, only 3 in 10 Japanese citizens backed this view, thereby further adding questions about the legitimacy of holding the Olympics in Japan.