The latest polls confirm the trend: the Japanese are generally in favor of postponing or canceling the Olympics in 2021. -

Philip FONG / AFP

Despite the upsurge in Covid-19 infections and persistent public skepticism in Japan, the governor of Tokyo said on Tuesday that she saw "no scenario" that could lead to a cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics, postponed to the summer 2021 due to the pandemic.

At the same time, according to a new poll released on Tuesday, we learned that a majority of Japanese were still opposed to the organization of the event and were in favor of a further postponement or outright cancellation.

This survey shows that Japanese public opinion has changed little since last summer despite the arrival of the first vaccines on the market.

Multiple surveys, same conclusions

The latest poll released by public broadcaster NHK reveals that only 27% of those polled support holding the Games next summer, with 32% in favor of canceling them and 31% of postponing them again.

Other respondents say they are unsure or have not given an answer.

Other opinion surveys, however, confirm the reluctance of the Japanese public.

A poll released on Monday by the Jiji News Agency also found that 21% of those polled were in favor of a cancellation and nearly 30% of a further delay.

According to a similar poll by the Kyodo news agency published on December 6, 61.2% of those polled were opposed to holding the Games next year.

The postponement, a financial pit for the organizers

The recent launch of vaccination campaigns in certain regions of the world has reinforced the confidence of the organizers in the possibility of organizing the Olympics, even if the inoculation will not be compulsory for the athletes or the spectators.

But even as vaccines begin to flow, new waves of infections are sweeping through many countries, including Japan where the toll is relatively low with less than 2,600 deaths to date since the start of the pandemic, according to reports. official figures.

The postponement of the Games and the development of measures against the coronavirus has proven to be a logistical nightmare and a financial sinkhole.

In early December, organizers announced that the Olympics would cost $ 2.4 billion (€ 2.1 billion) more than expected.

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