The 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were originally scheduled for summer of 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic they were forced to be postponed to 2021. As it currently stands, the games are expected to begin on July 23.
However, according to the Associated Press, an overwhelming amount of people in the country think the games should be canceled or postponed, or predict they will not take place. Over 80% of people in Japan who were surveyed gave an answer that the Olympics will not or should not happen.
The survey was carried out by the Japanese news agency Kyodo and the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS).
The poll asked if the Olympics should be held, with 81% of the 1,261 people surveyed over the phone responding with "no." That is an 18 percentage point increase of "no" answers from a survey conducted in December. Just 13% of those taking part in the survey replied "yes."
The other poll done by Kyodo was asking people if the games should be canceled or rescheduled, with 80.1% responding "yes" to the question. In December, 63% of people believed the Olympics should be canceled or postponed.
Despite the skepticism, Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has confidence that the games will go on in 2021 as planned. But the growing concern from the public is related to an increase of COVID-19 cases in Japan that has caused a state of emergency.
