Japan’s Shimane Prefecture Governor Maruyama Tatsuya said on the 17th that if the new crown epidemic in the metropolitan area does not improve, Shimane Prefecture is considering withdrawing from the Olympic torch relay that was originally scheduled to be held in the prefecture in May.
Affected by the epidemic, the Tokyo Olympics were postponed to July 23 to August 8 this year.
The Olympic torch relay in Japan is scheduled to start in Fukushima Prefecture on March 25 and spread to 47 prefectures and prefectures across the country in 121 days.
The Olympic torch relay in Shimane Prefecture was originally scheduled to be held from May 15 to 16 with 170 torch bearers.
On the 17th, Maruyama expressed his intention to cancel the torch relay in the prefecture at the Shimane Prefecture Torch Relay Executive Committee.
He told reporters after the meeting: "(Shimane Prefecture) cannot continue to assist in hosting the Olympic Games and the torch relay."
Mentioning the reasons, he said he was dissatisfied with the central and Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s ineffective epidemic prevention efforts.
Shimane Prefecture is located in southwestern Japan, with a population of approximately 666,000 and a total of approximately 280 confirmed cases of new crown.
Maruyama said: "We are not asking for the suspension of (the torch relay) now. We will make a decision based on the situation of the epidemic and whether (the central government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's epidemic prevention measures) have improved."
Maruyama opposes the holding of the Tokyo Olympics without improving the government's anti-epidemic measures.
On the 10th, he criticized the capital's poor ability to prevent and control the epidemic and questioned whether the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is qualified to host the Olympics.
Kyodo News reported that Shimane Prefecture's consideration of canceling the Olympic torch relay reflects the strong concern of the Japanese people about the Olympic Games this summer.
A public opinion poll by Kyodo News earlier in February showed that more than 80% of respondents believed that the Tokyo Olympics should be postponed or cancelled again.
The Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) reported from the Shimane Sports Promotion Office as a source that the Shimane Prefecture government has signed an agreement with the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee on the torch relay, stipulating that the torch relay can be cancelled in the event of a major natural disaster or unpredictable accident .
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu said on the 17th that Maruyama’s latest statement does not mean that the Shimane Prefecture Torch Relay Executive Committee has concluded that it is not suitable for comment at this time.
(Liu Xiuling)【Xinhua News Agency Special Article】