I am surprised that the Tokyo games have not been postponed / cancelled until 2024 , which to me makes most sense . It is not safe out there and there will be no normalcy until the entire world achieves herd immunity . Having said that none of this will happen until the poorest of the third world countries are vaccinated . Everyone wants to get there Jab asap myself included but it will not be safe if the country next to yours is not vaccinated . That is where the US needs to lead and pony up funding to help the entire world get vaccinated . This thing is a massive killer and people and governments need to get there acts together and work together so we can become safe again to live normal lives , when and if that will ever happen again .

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TheGreek
I am surprised that the Tokyo games have not been postponed / cancelled until 2024 , which to me makes most sense

Postponed until 2024 ?
2024 is the year of the Olympic games in Paris.

In just one year (february 4th), winter games are scheduled in Beijing.

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Massimo68

2024 is the year of the Olympic games in Paris.

Yes - and Los Angeles in Summer 2028. Earliest date for the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics would be 2032.

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RisingStone

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DandelionPowderman

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Toru A
Most people here in Tokyo think Olympics will be rescheduled to 2032.
Now it's just a matter of when Mr. Bach will get NBC Television's approval.

That's a long wait!

Well, since the cancellation of 1973, which left a bitter taste among the fans, we had to wait for The Rolling Stones to come and play Japan for 17 years...

By the way...this would have been the first day of the group’s aborted five-night residency at the Budokan, i.e. January 28-February 1, 1973. We had to wait for their first and so far only Budokan show, March 10, 2003, to happen for 30 years!!!

Hi there RisingStone (I guess you are Japanese?).
Although this thread is about the Olympics, I read your Stones related remarks in relation to Japan with great interest. I was in Japan from Autumn 1973 till Summer 1976 and had loosely heard about the 1973 postponement. While in Chiba in 1975 I read a street announcement about the Stones coming to Japan in that same year 1975, but never managed to get more info about that. Obviously they didn't come. Do you know about that?
(Sorry bv, I hope you except this non-thread related response).

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Massimo68

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TheGreek
I am surprised that the Tokyo games have not been postponed / cancelled until 2024 , which to me makes most sense

Postponed until 2024 ?
2024 is the year of the Olympic games in Paris.

In just one year (february 4th), winter games are scheduled in Beijing.

This is a health and safety issue for the entire world . Life has changed dramatically . Beijing Winter Games in 2022 are scheduled ,let's see if they actually happen ?

There's really nothing in these days I care less for than the Olympics.

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georgie48
Hi there RisingStone (I guess you are Japanese?).
Although this thread is about the Olympics, I read your Stones related remarks in relation to Japan with great interest. I was in Japan from Autumn 1973 till Summer 1976 and had loosely heard about the 1973 postponement. While in Chiba in 1975 I read a street announcement about the Stones coming to Japan in that same year 1975, but never managed to get more info about that. Obviously they didn't come. Do you know about that?
(Sorry bv, I hope you except this non-thread related response).

Yeah, I’m from the land of the rising stone originally, but now in somewhere else, out of the land of the falling sun.
I have never ever heard of the Stones coming to Japan in 1975 — even on a rumor level. The fans did not have a slightest hope of that possibility through the 70’s for sure. I have to say you came across false information or misunderstood something, unfortunately. Or you had a dream — I did.

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georgie48
I was in Japan from Autumn 1973 till Summer 1976 and had loosely heard about the 1973 postponement. While in Chiba in 1975 I read a street announcement about the Stones coming to Japan in that same year 1975, but never managed to get more info about that. Obviously they didn't come. Do you know about that?
(Sorry bv, I hope you except this non-thread related response).

What a fond memory!
I know a Japanese guy had tried to get them to come to Japan and squeezed himself into the packed flatbed truck press conference in New York.
However, he couldn't find ways to pull the strings to get the government to allow Stones to enter in Japan.
Instead, he gave us a festival show with Jeff Beck, New York Dolls and so many others with a little help from Ahmet Ertegun and Bob Gruen in 1975.
The government didn't much care about Doll's background.
Again, he challenged to host a show at Guam island with Stones and Japanese bands in 1978 or 1979.
He was saying Mick accepted his plan but it never happened that way. I guess that was Mick's diplomatic remarks, Shako-Jirei in Japanese, though.


As for Olympics,
some of Japanese are looking forward to when generous Parisian and Parisienne will start to tell us to concede their right to host 2024 games.

2-Feb-2021: Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said on 2-Feb-2021 that Japan would hold the Summer Olympics regardless of the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and was working closely with the International Olympic Committee to make them happen. “We will hold the Olympics, regardless of how the coronavirus (situation) looks”, Mori said, adding that the discussion should focus on how, not whether, the Olympics will happen. “We must consider new ways of hosting the Olympics” as a part of that, he said. - [www.Reuters.com] .

Good luck with that.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Good luck with the corona virus variant championship!

Bjornulf

If Tokyo does go ahead, I’m wondering how many countries or athletes will decline to participate. There might be a big ole asterisk after some of the results.

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SomeTorontoGirl
If Tokyo does go ahead, I’m wondering how many countries or athletes will decline to participate. There might be a big ole asterisk after some of the results.

It' just a smart move. All the Japanese athletes win the medals.

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Irix
2-Feb-2021: Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said on 2-Feb-2021 that Japan would hold the Summer Olympics regardless of the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and was working closely with the International Olympic Committee to make them happen. “We will hold the Olympics, regardless of how the coronavirus (situation) looks”, Mori said, adding that the discussion should focus on how, not whether, the Olympics will happen. “We must consider new ways of hosting the Olympics” as a part of that, he said. - [www.Reuters.com] .

Here we go. Stuborn Japanese pride. Not loosing face is far more important for the Japanese elite than the health and security of the people of Japan (reminds me of WW2). Mori is known to be ultra-conservative, who frequently crashed with realistic and progressive people like Tokyo mayor Yuriko Koike, so no surprise really. In Japan frequently polls take place to give the people the idea that they are being taken serious, but aparently a 80% "NO" vote against the Olympics games is not more than an annoying figures for Mr. Mori.
It will be interesting to learn how the "new ways" will look like.
I have followed the pandamic situation in Japan, because we'd love to go back there, and (although, like with most other East- and Southeast Asian countries, still small figures compared with Europe and the Americas) there is some serious concern on its spreading. The virus is more and more present is towns pretty far away from cities like Tokyo and Osaka (we hear worrying signals from relatives), where before they were clean.
The figures on Worldometers show a speeding up of infections and deaths over the past few months ...
May the Gods save the Japanese people from more corona misery.

They reported last night that the Games will go on as planned this year

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TheGreek
They reported last night that the Games will go on as planned this year

Maybe and maybe without Mr. Yoshiro Mori, who, the other day, said some degenerating things about Japanese women and is now publically under full attack, even by his own (female) family members.
This ultra conservatieve man had already clashed before on his outragious money spending behaviour, and when addressed by the (female) mayor of Tokyo that the games could be organized much cheaper, also permitted himself to say pretty disgusting things.

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georgie48

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TheGreek
They reported last night that the Games will go on as planned this year

Maybe and maybe without Mr. Yoshiro Mori, who, the other day, said some degenerating things about Japanese women and is now publically under full attack, even by his own (female) family members.
This ultra conservatieve man had already clashed before on his outragious money spending behaviour, and when addressed by the (female) mayor of Tokyo that the games could be organized much cheaper, also permitted himself to say pretty disgusting things.

Incredible and pretty mind blowing that it's full steam ahead and to heck with the pandemic . I can imagine the pressure is intense with Cultural and financial issues ,but it's just not safe . Are they going to alloy fans , are they going to have member nations boycotting due to the pandemic/safety issues .The IOC and the Tokyo organizers have quite the mess on there hqands .

The problem with the Olympics these days is that is has grown out of proportion. Too much investments and prestige at stake. Too much money involved.
Compare the Olympics in the 1950s with the ones today. It used to be about sport. Now it's business...and sport.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-02-04 13:58 by Stoneage.

Read today that Mr. Yoshiro Mori will announce his retreat as "boss of the Olympic Games Japan", following his degenerating remarks on Japanese women. Looking forward to his speech
According to the news there is pressure from both inside and outside Japan that "made him decide" to stop. A typical Japanese way of trying to reduce or even iliminate "losing face"

15-Feb-2021: Over half of Japanese firms believe the Tokyo Olympic Games should be cancelled or postponed, a survey by think tank Tokyo Shoko Research showed on Monday, casting further doubt over the fate of the troubled Games - [www.Reuters.com] .

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Irix
15-Feb-2021: Over half of Japanese firms believe the Tokyo Olympic Games should be cancelled or postponed, a survey by think tank Tokyo Shoko Research showed on Monday, casting further doubt over the fate of the troubled Games - [www.Reuters.com] .

Even though the number of casualties in Japan is still very low (percentage), the very, very slow increase last year before the scheduled 2020 Olympic Games, is at least interesting when looking at the increase during the past several months. The Prime Minister of Japan, in this stage, doesn't really have a choice but to say that the Games will go on.
When Springtime arrives in Japan the very popular cherry blossom outdoor parties will take place (March-May, depending on the latitude).
Last year the parties were still very crowded all over the country.
How disciplined will the people be this time?

20-Mar-2021: Spectators from overseas will NOT be allowed to attend the Summer Olympics on site in Japan, organizers said on Saturday, making a major concession to the realities of Covid-19 even as they forged ahead with plans to hold the world’s largest sporting event - [www.NYTimes.com] .

16-Apr-2021: The head of the Tokyo Olympics was again forced to assure the world that the postponed games will open in just over three months and not be canceled despite surging COVID-19 cases in Japan. Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto was asked at a news conference if there were any conditions under which the Olympics would be canceled. “There are a variety of concerns but as the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee we are not thinking about canceling the games,” Hashimoto said. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga issued a statement on 15-Apr-2021 saying there is “no change to the government position to do everything to achieve safe and secure Olympics.” - [www.WashingtonPost.com] , [www.Reuters.com] .

I just posted this article in the main Covid thread the other day, but it's just as relevant here also.

From CNN:

With 100 days until the Tokyo Olympics, Japan has vaccinated less than 1% of its population. That's a problem

Tokyo (CNN)When 2020 Tokyo Olympics volunteers have in recent weeks asked officials how they'll be protected from Covid-19, given the foreign athletes pouring into Japan for the event and the country's low vaccination rate, the answer has been simple. They'll be given a small bottle of hand sanitizer and two masks each. "They don't talk about vaccines, they don't even talk about us being tested," said German volunteer Barbara Holthus, who is director of Sophia University's German Institute for Japanese Studies, in Tokyo.

With 100 days to go until the Games, already postponed a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, questions remain over how Tokyo can hold a massive sporting event and keep volunteers, athletes, officials -- and the Japanese public -- safe from Covid-19. That concern has been amplified by Japan's battle with a looming fourth wave. The country passed 500,000 total coronavirus cases on Saturday, and some prefectures are again tightening their Covid-19 restrictions as daily infections grow. Hideaki Oka, a professor at Saitama Medical University, said Japan may not be able to contain the latest wave before the Games begin on July 23.

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Holthus said Tokyo 2020 President Hashimoto Seiko told volunteers during a Zoom call she was relying "on your smile" to make the Olympics a success -- a particularly jarring claim because they would all be wearing masks.
"(We were told) 'Your smile is going to make the Olympics exist' and you wonder, are you kidding me?" said Holthus, who is scheduled to volunteer as a ticket collector.

More details> Japan-Covid19-Olympics

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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Hairball
I just posted this article in the main Covid thread the other day, but it's just as relevant here also.

From CNN:

With 100 days until the Tokyo Olympics, Japan has vaccinated less than 1% of its population. That's a problem

Tokyo (CNN) When 2020 Tokyo Olympics volunteers have in recent weeks asked officials how they'll be protected from Covid-19, given the foreign athletes pouring into Japan for the event and the country's low vaccination rate, the answer has been simple. They'll be given a small bottle of hand sanitizer and two masks each. "They don't talk about vaccines, they don't even talk about us being tested," said German volunteer Barbara Holthus, who is director of Sophia University's German Institute for Japanese Studies, in Tokyo.


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Holthus said Tokyo 2020 President Hashimoto Seiko told volunteers during a Zoom call she was relying "on your smile" to make the Olympics a success -- a particularly jarring claim because they would all be wearing masks.
"(We were told) 'Your smile is going to make the Olympics exist' and you wonder, are you kidding me?" said Holthus, who is scheduled to volunteer as a ticket collector.

More details> Japan-Covid19-Olympics

This is typical for Japan. I have followed mostly everything on how they dealt and are still dealing with the Fukushima nuclear plant. It's absolutely amateuristic and in fact discussing.
Manipulated Geiger meters, people having to work in "plastic" suits, cloves and primitive masks that don't work against radioactive radiation AT ALL. Things have improved somewhat lately but still ...
They recently announced they are going to dump "cleaned" radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean in two years from now. It wouldn't surprise me at all if "some of it" has already been moved there "by mistake". Radioactive soil is wrapped in large plastic material and stored on no-longer-used land nearby. Examples of torn material and soil seeping out have been on the news frequently. The management of TEPCO was and still is without any moral. It's all about money, not about human lives.
This kind of thinking is also hidden under the surface concerning the upcoming Olympic Games. Some powerful people in charge don't care a bit about the human consequences. The Japanese individual doesn't mean anything to them. That kind of attitude wouldn't last long in areas like North America and Europe.
When I was living in Japan as of 1973 I could already predict a disaster like Fukushima coming. The country was in complete panic due to the big oil crisis and came up with that ridiculous idea of building 50+ nuclear plants all over the country in a span of several years. There were protests by ordinary Japanese people already then (the two atomic bombs were still clear in their minds), but nobody cared. I also put the question of "how on earth can you decide to build 50+ nuclear plants in the most heavily earth quake affected country in the world?"
Well, off course it was all in vain ...
The 2021 Olympics ... we'll see

I'm a GHOST living in a ghost town

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Irix

20-Mar-2021: Spectators from overseas will NOT be allowed to attend the Summer Olympics on site in Japan, organizers said on Saturday, making a major concession to the realities of Covid-19 even as they forged ahead with plans to hold the world’s largest sporting event - [www.NYTimes.com] .

8-Jul-2021: Domestic Japanese Spectators will also NOT be allowed to attend the Summer Olympics - [www.Reuters.com] , [www.Standard.co.uk] .

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Irix

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Irix

20-Mar-2021: Spectators from overseas will NOT be allowed to attend the Summer Olympics on site in Japan, organizers said on Saturday, making a major concession to the realities of Covid-19 even as they forged ahead with plans to hold the world’s largest sporting event - [www.NYTimes.com] .

8-Jul-2021: Domestic Japanese Spectators will also NOT be allowed to attend the Summer Olympics - [www.Reuters.com] , [www.Standard.co.uk] .

If they would allow them to attend the Games ... and things go wrong afterwards, the Jiminto (Conservative) Party will loose the next elections. That's all ...
The fast majority of the Japanese people were against the Games for this year, but their voice was clearly ignored, so with "Delta" gaining ground all around, one can expect ... trouble.
Basically Britain already is a clear example ... sky rocketing increase of numbers of infections. Give freedom to "the idiots" and "fun" is a guaranteed result.


I'm a GHOST living in a ghost town

If the Beijing 2022 Winter Os go ahead they will likely be affected by boycotts more than corona.

I heard that the torch to Paris, the host city of the next Olympics, will be passed on from Tokyo to Antoine Griezmann.

Should have been cancelled or moved forward due to COVID-19 . What a mess .