For Ryusei Takahashi's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
The situation is changing daily and some questions don’t yet have answers, but here’s what we know so far: Despite the declaration of a fourth state of emergency in the capital — which forced organizers to ban nearly all spectators — just days remain until ...
The prioritization of the global sporting event over public health has added anger to the desperation weighing on the shoulders of an already exhausted nation.
Organizers insist the “bubble” meant to protect residents from people connected to the Games — and vice versa — remains intact, even as the list of cases continues to grow.
Even before the Olympics begin, measures meant to ensure a “safe and secure” event that may have looked good on paper aren’t faring so well in practice.
Kanagawa Prefecture — which logged 403 cases on Thursday, its highest tally since late January — is considering requesting a state of emergency, and Chiba Prefecture may do the same.
“It’s extremely unfortunate the games can’t be held in their complete form, and for that I apologize to the many ticket holders,” Tokyo Organising Committee President Seiko Hashimoto said.
Organizers made the unprecedented decision to close venues in the Tokyo area just two weeks ahead of the opening of the games.
While projections and public polls vary, the LDP is expected to win anywhere from 50 to 55 metropolitan assembly seats on Sunday.
A perfect storm is brewing in Tokyo as the capital struggles to smother a burgeoning COVID-19 surge just weeks before the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
Scientists fear the delta variant could soon overtake all other strains and trigger a surge of cases, which could then spread to neighboring prefectures and across the country.
