'Sad' but the 'best decision' - Tokyo public react to Games postponement

Record ID: 1465600

  • Title: 'Sad' but the 'best decision' - Tokyo public react to Games postponement
  • Date: 24th March 2020
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 24, 2020) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) PEOPLE WALKING IN FRONT OF SHIMBASHI STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 21-YEAR-OLD UNIVERSITY STUDENT, AINA UTAGAWA, SAYING: "2020 was a term I've been hearing all along. So it's a sad feeling that it (the Games) will be postponed for a year. But I think it's the best decision to prevent the spread (of the coronavirus)." TOKYO GAMES COUNTDOWN ON ELECTRONIC BOARD READING (Japanese): "122 DAYS UNTIL TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS" (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 20-YEAR-OLD UNIVERSITY STUDENT, AYAKA KAWAMOTO, SAYING: "I was surprised. But worst-case scenario, I thought the games will be cancelled. So I think it's totally acceptable to hold it in one year." PEDESTRIANS WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 65-YEAR-OLD TOKYO RESIDENT, TOSHITAKE SUZUKI, SAYING: "I think people will argue next year too (because the coronavirus situation won't be contained by then). So it might get cancelled." PEOPLE TALKING ON STREET BUILDING IN FRONT OF SHIMBASHI STATION
  • Embargoed: 7th April 2020 17:32
  • Keywords: 2021 Olympics Tokyo 2020 reactions delay postpone
  • Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • City: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Olympics,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA001C6EWZ7R
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Tokyo residents said they were "sad" and "surprised" but mostly agreed that it was the best decision to postpone the 2020 Olympic Games until 2021.
    Student Aina Utagawa, speaking on Tuesday (March 24) shortly after hearing that the IOC and Tokyo 2020 had agreed to a postponement because of the global threat of coronavirus, said that it was a "sad feeling" that this had happened but that it was "the best decision".
    Another student, Ayaka Kawamoto, said that she was surprised but happy that the Games had not been cancelled altogether, although 65-year-old Toshitake Suzuki took a gloomier view, believing that the coronavirus would not be clear in a year's time and that the Games might yet be cancelled.
    (Production: Yasuteru Ueda, Akira Tomoshige, Akiko Okamoto, Mike Brock)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register