TOKYO AND THE 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES

Image: Jaison Lin

BY EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ-JARAMILLO

A year has passed since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. During that one-year period, the world saw the cancellation or postponement of events from a variety of disciplines—from music festivals to state summits. 

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, one of the most important sociopolitical events, was postponed until the summer of this year. With the new inauguration date approaching quickly, the world is watching what measures Japan will implement that could change the nature of the 2020 Games.

The Olympic Games place the host country in the global spotlight, allowing them to showcase their nation to millions of viewers worldwide and in-person. Using sports diplomacy in this manner, countries can advance their foreign policy agendas in a collaborative manner that transcends linguistic and sociocultural differences. The Olympic Games are thus treated as important investments for the host country; everything from economic to infrastructural development is considered, both short-term and long-term.

The postponement of the Olympics has been a huge loss for Japan and the international community—a necessary evil given the severity of the pandemic. Participating nations treat the Olympics as investments for their countries, showcasing athletic talent to attract attention and, more tangibly, potential tourism and investment.

For Japan, the postponement of the 2020 Games has been very expensive, with the IOC reporting a $2.8 billion cost of the delay.

Since the Games’ postponement, there has been heavy opposition among Japanese citizens to hosting the Olympics.

Since the Games’ postponement, there has been heavy opposition among Japanese citizens to hosting the Olympics. In early February, a Yomiuri poll found 61 percent of Japanese people wanting the Games to be cancelled or postponed, and 28 percent of those wanting the Games to be held without spectators.

In early March, the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee decided to close the Games to foreigners. On March 20, the IOC published an official statement in conjunction with the Tokyo metropolitan government that the Olympic and Paralympic Games would not allow overseas entry to Japan for the games due to growing concerns of spreading COVID-19 and its variants.

Robert Tanaka, a Paralympic athlete for the U.S. Judo team, commented on the decision of the IOC banning overseas spectators.

“It’s disappointing. It takes the Olympic and Paralympic experience out of it, but there’s not much we can do about it,” Robert said as he thought about his family. “My family have had this dream of seeing me compete at this level in-person, but the fact they won’t be able to is upsetting—but they understand since it’s a global pandemic.”

Robert is fourth-generation Japanese American, so the hosting of the Games in Tokyo is personal to him.

I asked Robert about his team’s preparation for the Tokyo Games since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

“A lot of changes are happening constantly,” he said. “All athletes, even us, are playing things by ear. The Games might not play out like we wanted it to, but its still a chance to represent our country and win. I have been doing Judo for the past 16 years—it’s been my dream and soon my accomplishment.”

When he’s not participating in sporting events, Robert is studying mathematics and economics at the University of Southern California. While on the mat, Robert is looking to represent his country in the Paralympic Judo 66-kilogram category and climb further from being #8 in the world to #1 in his division.

“I’ll be representing the United States, but in a sense, I am also returning to where my heritage is from this summer,” he said. “That’s what makes this story so beautiful.”

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Eduardo Rodriguez-Jaramillo is a senior and first-year grad student at the University of Southern California studying public diplomacy, human biology, and East Asian cultures with an interest in Japan. He is participating in a Foreign Affairs Reporting class taught by Philip Seib, a collaboration between the Pacific Council and the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Pacific Council.