Organizers and public officials will deny it, but a large part of Japan’s coronavirus response has been governed by the country’s commitment to hosting the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
From the inoculation of Tokyo Games staff, contract workers and journalists before the general population to the diversion of scarce medical resources and huge sums of taxpayer money, 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.
Although most of the public haven’t received their shots yet, those involved with the Tokyo Games began receiving their first dose — vaccinations provided by the International Olympic Committee but administered by the Tokyo Organising Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government — in June.