This archive report was first published on 29 June 2020.
June 29, 2020 - Tokyo residents are divided over the 2021 Olympics, with a recent poll showing that nearly half of them want the event postponed or cancelled.
The poll, conducted by Kyodo News and Tokyo MX television, found that 51.7% of respondents hope the Games in 2021 are postponed again or cancelled, while 46.3% want to see the rescheduled Olympics go ahead.
Among those opposed to a 2021 Games, 27.7% said they want them cancelled altogether, while 24.0% would prefer a second postponement.
Of those who said they want to see the Games held next year, 31.1% said the event should be in a scaled-back form, including without spectators, while 15.2% said they wanted to see a full-blown Olympics.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were postponed in March as the coronavirus spread across the globe, causing the worst disruption to the Olympics since two editions were cancelled during World War II.
Officials from Japan and the International Olympic Committee have warned it will not be possible to postpone again, and even the year-long delay has created significant financial and logistical headaches.
