Japanese sentiment toward the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is seeing a shift as competitions and athletes take center stage and the country inches closer to winning a record number of gold medals.
Previously plagued by concerns over the pandemic and a laundry list of scandals, analyses of Twitter posts by local media found that positive remarks about the Olympics have risen significantly since the opening ceremony on June 23, compared with previously largely critical comments beforehand centered on cancellation and COVID-19.
Japanese athletes have been racking up gold medals, including several firsts. With 15 gold medals as of Friday afternoon, the country is one off its record haul from 2004. While some athletes have dropped out after testing positive, Olympics-tied cases have remained relatively contained for now, with no events being called off so far.