Welcome To Japan

Mainly due to malfunctioning of COVID-19 policy of the Japanese government, the operation for Tokyo Olympic Games 2020, which opening ceremony is set three days away, is in total mess. Domestic media in Japan keep on reporting consecutive discovery of athletes or staffs related to Olympic teams, who are infected with the virus. Those who are registered as infected, even if not having symptom of the disease, have to stay in the room, regardless their schedule of the games. All the foreigners required not to have any physical contact with Japanese residents. Those are attributed to the regulative policy of Japanese government or Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee. Though you would not be able to walk around your hotel, welcome to Japan.

According to the playbook, actually the regulation list, issued by the committee, foreign athletes or staffs arrived to Japan cannot use public transportation system for 14 days. They are not free to visit anywhere not designated to be visited. Observers are deployed in every hotel entrance. Supposedly receiving appeals for free of move, some hotels created new rule allowing 15-minute walk-out from the building. But even buying foods in a convenience store is not tolerated, in light of explanation of the government for safety of Japanese residence.

Xenophobic mood is getting prevalent in Japan. It was reported that one of nine athletes from Uganda arrived Narita Airport on June 19th proved to be COVID-19 positive. As its collateral effect, 8 colleagues and 1 staff of Izumisano city taking care of the team were in quarantine as persons with close contact. In addition, one member of the team escaped from the camp, seeking asylum and job in Japan. The news exacerbated concern of Japanese public to the event.

While IOC president Thomas Bach promised that Japanese people would be protected from the virus, based on thorough checking on visitors in advance, most people are skeptical about credibility of the system blocking infected foreigners. Three athletes in soccer team from South Africa were diagnosed with COVID positive, bringing 21 members into the close-contact. South Africa is the opponent of Japan in the first match on July 22th. Although the athletes can participate in the game if they are proved to be negative in the test 6 hours before the kick-off, it is still unclear whether the match stands.

While the situation is relatively moderate, Tokyo is actually under the state of emergency. Athletes or staffs are not permitted to freely visit Akihabara or Tokyo Sky Tree for sightseeing, as inconvenient as Japanese residents. If Japanese government were successful in testing in the early stage of prevalence, or in distributing vaccines these months, even the foreign audience might be welcomed.

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