Only one quarter of Japanese want Tokyo Olympics Games next year
Just one in four people in Japan in favour of holding Games next summer
Tokyo: Just one in four people in Japan want to see the coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Games held next year, with most backing either further delay or a cancellation, a new poll shows.
Only 23.9 per cent of respondents in the three-day nationwide poll published Sunday said they wanted to see the 2020 Games held next year.
The survey carried out by Kyodo News agency found 36.4 per cent of respondents back a further delay of the Games, while 33.7 think the flagship event should be cancelled altogether.
Most of those backing a delay or cancellation said they simply didn’t believe the pandemic could be contained in time for the Games, now scheduled to open on July 23, 2021.
A separate survey carried out over the weekend by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper found 33 per cent of respondents backed holding the Games next year, with 61 per cent supporting another postponement or cancellation.
The nationwide polls echo a separate survey carried out last month of Tokyo residents, which found just over half of respondents backed either further delay or cancellation.