The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games said Wednesday they had given up on holding celebrations this summer to mark one year before the delayed Olympics are set to open, on July 23, 2021.
Organizers deemed it would be inappropriate to hold any lavish events amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in the unprecedented delay of the games originally scheduled to start in the capital next month.
"We won't be holding any special events that attract crowds of people," said committee spokesman Masanori Takaya during a press conference.
As organizers work to streamline the games, they are considering sending messages of encouragement to athletes instead of holding the kind of elaborate events that took place last summer, when Tokyo originally celebrated the year-to-go mark. The Olympics are slated to be held from July 23 to Aug. 8 next year, followed by the Paralympic Games between Aug. 24 and Sept. 5.