Tokyo has 14 million people.

Where were you on Sunday?

The city as if dead.

As far as you could see from the city bus ride as an Olympic driver over 60 minutes.

The freeway, as empty as the shuttle to the basketball hall, driver plus guest.

This may be due to the fact that the authorities did not prohibit its use.

However, the trip costs 1,000 yen (around eight euros) more.

The International Olympic Committee is already getting what it loves.

Free ride.

Anno Hecker

Responsible editor for sports.

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But why no life in the squares? Could be on the long weekend with the day of the sport on Friday or the weather. 31 degrees Celsius, oppressive at 9 a.m. Japanese say the Olympians are crazy to race their summer. People have been smarter before. 57 years ago there was Tokyo gold in well-tempered October, at least don't worry, a rower could fall out of the boat with heat stroke.

But there, a baseball game in the park under the scorching sun - with spectators! There is not much time left to count. Maybe 100. As many as in the men's hockey 7: 1 against Canada or the women's 2: 1 over Great Britain on Sunday, including supervisors, stewards, officials, judges and substitutes in the stands. So everyone on two legs. Doesn't matter, it wasn't any different in Rio 2016 at the beginning. "Olympia!" Says Captain Hauke ​​after the first game: "A great feeling."

He's been there three times. How about fans? Allowed in the park, in the hockey stadium, fencing, swimming, actually not allowed everywhere because of the pandemic. And then that: fans in rows of two or three at the bike race. Lined the streets, waved, cheered. Not a million like 2012 in London, a few thousand. But a little vote with your feet. For days it was said that the Japanese no longer wanted their games for fear of massive corona infection. There is a state of emergency in Tokyo, the incidence is increasing daily.

On the four-lane road, two amateur cyclists crank past on chic racing bikes, with masks over their mouths and noses.

You don't have to, nobody has to wear a mask.

There is no regulation.

Everyone is doing it.

Well not all.

Around the corner is a sushi bar, halfway on the way back from the Olympiabus stop to the hotel.

It offers fried food to take away.

The waiter brings it out onto the street.

Inside, cheerfully partying guests sit a good hour after midnight.

Beer goes around, masks protect elbows.

It looks like an Olympic encounter.

“United by Emotion” is the motto of the games.

Japanese and Olympic friends from overseas.

Didn't they just check in a few days ago?

Somebody must have misunderstood something.

Scary.