While the defamation of athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics has become a problem one after another, the appearance of a man near the Olympic Village with the message "You are the best even if you do not get a medal" has become a hot topic on SNS.
We talked to a man about his thoughts on the message.
At the Tokyo Olympics, there have been a series of cases in which athletes from Japan and overseas have been slandered on the Internet, and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is promoting counseling by setting up a 24-hour consultation desk.
Under these circumstances, a photo of a man holding a handmade message board and cheering at the intersection near the Olympic Village in Harumi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo was posted on SNS and has become a hot topic both in Japan and overseas.
The message board says in English, "Even if you don't get a medal, you're great, so believe in yourself," and one of the posts is about 280,000 a day. Has been retweeted more than 60,000 times with "Like".
When an NHK reporter visited the site to find out what kind of feelings he had in his message, he was able to meet the man in the photo.
The man is a 57-year-old office worker born in 1964, when the last Tokyo Games were held, and lives about 2 kilometers from the Olympic Village. It means that he puts up a message before working at the Olympic Village.
On the first day of the 10th day of the tournament, the strong sunlight was shining, and after 9 am, my wife and I stood at the intersection and sent a yell to the bus where overseas players were riding, and the players were sending ale. Responded by waving his hand with a smile from inside the car.
Regarding this initiative, the man said, "I was not convinced that I was forced to hold the tournament while many of the general public were suffering from the corona disaster. I postponed it for another year and the players and spectators were free to go around the city. I think we should have been able to walk and share the joy regardless of nationality. On the other hand, there are voices saying that the athletes who compete are not bad and they are not welcomed in this situation. I decided to put up a message with the thought that I am very welcome. "
Regarding the content of the message, "I made it a short message that can be understood in a few seconds with only simple words so that many players can understand it. I can tell that the players are competing as they are about to be crushed by the pressure of medals. I will come here, so when I come here, I want to say that it is the highest level, do not feel depressed or fail even if you do not get a medal, "You are the best people without a medal" I want the players to bring back some good memories. "