89: Why are the Tokyo Olympics still going ahead in a pandemic? w/ Motoko Rich

With medical experts worried that the Olympics will turn into a superspreader event, polls show that the Japanese public is overwhelmingly not on board with the Games. Yet things are going full steam ahead, with test events taking place, athletes arriving and the torch relay beginning last week.

Joining Deep Dive is the New York Times Tokyo bureau chief Motoko Rich, here to discuss why the government seems so intent on holding the Games this summer, and the risks associated with them going ahead as planned.

Read more:

• Why ‘cursed’ Olympics are pressing ahead amid a pandemic • (Motoko Rich and Hikari Hida, The New York Times)

• Experts fear the Olympics could trigger a global superspreader event • (The Japan Times)

• Tokyo Olympic torch relay begins amid COVID-19 fears • (The Japan Times)

• Japanese stars have no burning desire to be involved in torch relay • (The Japan Times)

• 'Unavoidable': Overseas fans barred from Tokyo Olympics over virus • (The Japan Times)

On this episode:

Motoko Rich: Twitter | Articles

Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram

Announcements:

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Photo: The Olympic rings are reinstalled at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo on Dec. 1, 2020. | REUTERS