Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday he hopes the COVID-19 situation in Japan will improve enough to allow some spectators at the Tokyo Paralympics, as the Olympics are set to kick off next week behind closed doors amid a state of emergency in the capital.
Canceling the games, which were postponed by one year for the first time in modern history due to the pandemic, was "never considered as an option," Suga said in an interview, adding that hosting the global sporting event will be an opportunity to "send a message from Japan to the rest of the world."
"It would be nice to have at least some spectators" when the Paralympics are held from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5, Suga said, adding that the decision will be made among organizers including his government, the Japanese organizing committee and the International Paralympic Committee.