The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which had been talked about and ridden a lot, finally comes to an end today (23rd). Modern Olympics The start of a strange Olympics that has never been experienced in its 125-year history.
There are so many things missing from this Olympics. First of all, there is no audience. Due to the global spread of Corona 19, the Japanese government decided not to accept overseas spectators in February, but as the number of confirmed cases in Japan surged ahead of the opening, it decided not to accept Japanese spectators, making it the first 'no spectator Olympics' in history.
There are no customers who want to come to Japan. French President Macron is virtually the only foreign head of state to attend the opening ceremony, who will host the next Olympic Games in Paris 2024. Even former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who took the lead in biding the Tokyo Olympics this time, announced his absence from the opening ceremony.
The same goes for Japanese people. They show no interest, let alone enthusiasm. It is rare for a past Olympic host country to show no interest in hosting the Olympics in their own country. Beyond the lack of interest, more than half of Japanese people are negative about hosting the Olympics. Unfortunately, even IOC partner Toyota Motor Company has decided not to advertise the Olympics. This has never happened before in Olympic history.
It is difficult to find propaganda materials promoting the Tokyo Olympics. Until now, the roads of the Olympic host countries were filled with various promotional materials, including placards announcing the Olympic Games, to enhance the atmosphere of the Games. But this time it's different. There are no advertisements that stand out so much that you don't know if the Tokyo Olympics will be held or not.
If you look at the bus with athletes and reporters from all over the world, there is a small sticker on the front that reads the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but there is no sign announcing the Tokyo Olympics on the side of the vehicle. In the case of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, some of the vehicles that were urgently procured did not have wrapping, but it was not so difficult to find a wrapped vehicle like this time in the Tokyo Olympics.
Athletes from each country came to Japan after following extremely strict procedures, but the lack of consideration for them is also being pointed out as a problem. A typical example is the corrugated cardboard bed, the so-called 'talking furniture' in the athletes' village. A video uploaded to the New Zealand national team's official social media site on the 21st showed a scene where the corrugated cardboard frame was crushed as rower Shawn Kirkham sat down on the edge of the bed. The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee is guiding that the corrugated cardboard bed can withstand a load of about 200 kg and is eco-friendly because it can be recycled, but some athletes are expressing their anxiety.
On the 19th, I went to the Asaka shooting range in Saitama Prefecture to cover the shooting emperor Jin Jong-oh. The shooting range was a simple building made of containers, but the inside temperature was as high as 36 degrees. Whether it was because of cost savings or the air conditioner was broken even though there was no air conditioner, the air conditioner didn't work anyway, making it look like a steam room, and Jong-oh Jin had to wipe his sweat and fan.
There are very few people who can properly prepare for the Olympics. Former Prime Minister Mori Mori, the head of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, resigned in February last year after saying, "The more women there are, the longer the meetings." Seiko Hashimoto, the author of the 'forced kiss' controversy, took over the baton.
The following month, in March, creative director Hiroshi Sasaki, who was in charge of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, resigned again due to controversy over the appearance of female celebrities, but this was not the end.
On the 19th, musician Keigo Oyamada, who was embroiled in a controversy that he bullied the disabled while at school, took over as music director for the opening ceremony, and yesterday (22nd), one day before the opening, it became a controversy for a past video caricature of the massacre of Jews during World War II The director of the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, Kentaro Kobayashi, was also fired. Kobayashi was in the position of 'show director' in the production and directing team for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee. This happened.
Also, this Olympics is called the most uncomfortable Olympics. All athletes and reporters are required to record their health status in the Japanese smartphone app 'Ocha' (OCHA) application for COVID-19 quarantine measures while undergoing daily COVID-19 testing. Athletes are not allowed to go out during the competition. Reporters will not be able to use public transportation for 14 days, and outside the hotel will be limited to 15 minutes during this period.
In addition, as the heat wave of over 35 degrees Celsius continues every day, the Olympic Games are called 'the march of hardship'. It's an annoying situation for everyone. If I could express in one word what I felt while covering the Olympics for about a week so far, it would be as follows. “Why do we have to do this Olympics?” Looking at the faces of some Tokyo Olympic organizing committee staff and volunteers, it is difficult to erase the impression that the Olympics are being held reluctantly.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed for the first time by one year amid the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19. One more year was given, but Japan did not use that precious time effectively. It's because they're showing their behavior all over the place. I am reminded of the words of Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, who is famous for his 'reckoning machine', last year. "The Olympics are cursed every 40 years."
His prophecies are ominously coming true. Far from becoming a global festival, the Tokyo Olympics, which were sluggish, had already become a failed Olympics. The host country, Japan, is not free from responsibility for its failure to prevent quarantine and lack of preparation.
(Photo = Getty Images Korea)