I agree with the letter by SDT Tokyo ("Lawmakers out of touch with reality" in the Aug. 11 edition) that holding the Tokyo Olympics during the month of August shows extraordinary lack of consideration for both athletes and spectators, but I wonder whether the lawmakers really "have lost touch with reality."
On the contrary, is it not possible that the month of August was chosen deliberately, perhaps to give Japanese athletes a slight edge in the contests? Being better acclimatized and more able to cope with the extreme heat, the Japanese participants would perhaps have an unfair advantage.
The Japanese are well-known for putting their own interests first in the international arena, and their choice of August might be just such another case of inward-looking politics.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.