Efforts have begun in earnest to simplify the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics scheduled for the summer of 2021 following the spread of new coronavirus worldwide. The government wants to avoid the cancellation of the Games, while the Tokyo metropolitan government and the Tokyo Organizing Committee are seeking to reduce costs.
That has the two sides working together in a bid to obtain approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the changes.
--Advice from organizing committee chief
"We will pay close attention to the situation and make our best efforts to realize safe and secure Games," Yoshiro Mori, president of the organizing committee, said at a press conference on Wednesday evening, indicating the strong will for the Games to go on.
Earlier in the day, the organizing committee clearly spelled out its policy for simplifying of the Games for the purpose of curbing renewed calls for canceling the Games as the spread of the coronavirus continues unabated.
According to the British public broadcaster BBC, IOC President Thomas Bach said in May that the event would be cancelled if it was impossible to be held next summer. Such a remark by the head of the IOC, which is in charge of deciding whether or not to hold the Games, holds great weight.
"It was necessary to present a realistic plan as soon as possible that allows for the Olympics to be held and eliminates the option of cancellation," a Japanese government source said.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe initially aimed to hold the Games in its "perfect form" without downsizing or other alterations. On May 25, the day the government decided to fully lift the emergency declaration, he said at a press conference, "I want [the Tokyo Olympics] to be held in its perfect form. The development of drugs and vaccines is also important."
The following day, Mori visited the prime minister. "Let's not apply constraints by using such terms as 'perfect form' or 'vaccine development' at this point," he reportedly advised Abe. The prime minister, who had shown an obsession with the issue, was in effect urged to revise his policy.
In response to the change in the circumstances, the prime minister is said to have told close aides earlier this month, "We may not be able to avoid reducing the scale, but [the Games] absolutely have to be held next year."
--Tokyo's financial pinch
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike is also positive on the idea of simplifying the Olympics. At a meeting with Mori on June 4, they were in accord in terms of looking closely into the matter.
According to a senior official, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has compiled an "extremely large budget" to fight against the novel coronavirus and is facing a severe fiscal crunch.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's total budget for coronavirus countermeasures exceeds 1 trillion yen, including propping up the medical system and providing subsidies for businesses which cooperated in efforts to help prevent the spread of infections.
In addition, the metropolitan government will have to shoulder additional costs incurred by the postponement of the Tokyo Games expected to total several hundreds of billions of yen. To prevent the spread of the virus among athletes and spectators, further spending will likely be inevitable. "It is necessary to drastically cut the costs [of the Games] so as not to worsen the metropolitan government's finances after it is over," the senior official said.
In late May, the central government compiled a summary of issues for simplification. Without reducing the number of events, there are a number of areas where coordination is necessary such as the scaling down of the opening and closing ceremonies, which are so essential to the festiveness of the Games. A central government source said, "We hope to come up with concrete plans as soon as possible," because each ministry will begin drawing up its budget for the next fiscal year starting this summer.
Depending on how the fight against the coronavirus proceeds, there is the possibility of the debate on whether or not to hold the Games flaring up again. "The problem is not limited to what is happening inside Japan," a government official said. "We need to look at the situation worldwide. There are many concerns, such as whether athletes will be able to adequately prepare with limited time for training."
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