New events at the Tokyo Olympics, such as sports climbing, skateboarding and karate, have been hit hard by the outbreak of the new coronavirus, stalling their momentum in gaining new fans in the run-up to the sports extravaganza.
The aim had been for these sports to use the Olympics as an opportunity to expand their fan bases, but they now face the closure of related facilities, giving rise to fears that operators will be thrown into financial difficulty and fans will eventually lose interest.
"I thought [the situation] was bad in mid-February, but infections spread quite fast after that," said Masayuki Yamamori, a board member of the Japan Climbing Gym Association.
Many gyms have closed due to the outbreak, and the association conducted a survey on operators nationwide in mid-April. All 71 respondents said there had been an impact on their sales and the number of customers.
Asked when they would start to have financial problems, about 85% of the respondents said "within two to three months." This figure included operators who said they would be in trouble "this month" or "one month from now."
A number of earnest comments were submitted to the survey. One respondent said their gym's financial condition had worsened because it was forced to close on a voluntary basis without any relief in sight, while another said facilities would not be able to operate as before until a vaccination for the virus is developed.
Sports climbing is one of the favorites for Japan to win a medal at the Olympics, as Tomoa Narasaki bagged the men's combined title -- also an Olympic event -- at last summer's world championships. According to 2017 data, an estimated 600,000 people participated in the sport in Japan, with about 480 gyms nationwide, nearly five times the level a decade earlier.
The association is stepping up support for gym operators to help protect their finances by, for example, providing information on public financing schemes.
Many karate training halls have also suspended operations for the time being. In fiscal 2018, the Japan Karatedo Federation had 89,181 registered athletes, a record high. The figure had been increasing since karate was added to the Olympics, but the coronavirus outbreak has put a brake on this momentum.
A hall in Shizuoka City suspended its training when local schools were closed because of the virus.
"If anyone was found to be infected at this hall, I might not be able to open it ever again," said instructor Keigo Horikawa.
Earlier this month, Horikawa started teaching karate online using the Zoom web conferencing system. Many of his young students appreciate these online lessons because they have fewer chances to interact with others as they limit their going out. However, some have given up on taking part, mainly because their homes are not sufficiently equipped.
"We have no choice but to endure for now," Horikawa said. "I'll try to create an environment in which children can enjoy practicing karate as much as possible."
Skateboarding and BMX freestyle park in cycling have also been affected. According to the Japan SkatePark Association, there are about 100 public skate parks nationwide run by local governments. However, many have been closed or restrictions put on their use. A large privately run facility in Tokyo also suspended its operations.
Some expected outdoor facilities to reopen relatively soon, but future developments are uncertain.
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