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Hi Blog. I’ve been writing about Japan’s racialized attitude towards Covid for well over a year now (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), which is, essentially: Japanese have been treated as less infectious than foreigners traveling under the same conditions. This was seen most clearly in the racist border policies that have refused all foreigners re-entry (including those with valid visas) but let in all Japanese.
I suspected that this poor science would play a part in the Japan Olympic Committee’s recent decision to ban all “overseas spectators” (their wording: “kaigai no kankyaku“) from attending the Olympics. And I suspected that this would only apply to foreigners.
Well, the Japan Times reported today that this has precisely come to pass: “According to the Japanese organizing committee, foreign nationals made up roughly 10% of a total of 80,000 volunteers before the pandemic forced the one-year postponement of the games. Japanese citizens living abroad are expected to be allowed to volunteer, according to the officials.” [emphasis added]
So to recap: Japanese citizens living overseas are not counted as “overseas spectators”. They have that immunity to Covid by dint of their passport.
This is despite:
- The rest of the developed world vaccinating at far higher rates than Japan is at the moment.
- The fact that those “overseas spectators” bearing proof of vaccination are less likely to spread Covid than the (almost all unvaccinated) Japanese.
- The fact that, again, any gathering during a pandemic is potentially a superspreader event. The danger being posed to the Japanese public by holding these Olympics with spectators keeps getting ignored in the GOJ’s singleminded attempt at recouping their investment.
And now the IOC has in effect “fully respected and accepted” this exclusionary Olympics. It’s the world’s “first ever without overseas spectators“.
No. It’s the first Olympics without “foreign” spectators. Overseas spectators are okay if they’re Japanese.
So as predicted, welcome to Japan’s first “Japanese Only” Olympics. As long as you have a Japanese passport, you are immune to Covid and have privileged access to Our Games. SITYS. Debito Arudou, Ph.D.
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PS: I know the article says that Japanese “volunteers” living abroad will get in, not “spectators”. But do you really think the Japanese government is going to make that distinction? It’s already not making a distinction between Japanese in Japan and Japanese living abroad for re-entry. You think officials are going to say, “Oh, you’re not going to actually watch the games? Just come in to the event as a volunteer? Oh, well, that’s okay, then! Come right on in!”
Similar is the distinction that has NOT been made between NJ Residents and foreign tourists. I’ve talked about that here. And that distinction is still not being officially made now. So for those thinking, “Well, I live in Japan, I’ve got tickets, I’ll get in!”, I say wait and see. My read, based upon decades of study of how the government treats NJ Residents (and reaffirmed by its blanket border bans of NJ over the past year), is that I’ll be very surprised if any distinction is finally made. D.
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UPDATE MARCH 24: Debito.org Reader RO points out that according to the IACE Travel Agency (which is legally liable for their information), even overseas “Japanese” who NO LONGER HAVE JAPANESE CITIZENSHIP (because they gave it up and took another nationality) can still re-enter Japan. In other words, what constitutes “overseas Japanese” is a matter of having Japanese blood, even without having Japanese legal status. These are racialized paradigms for what constitutes a “Japanese”, and that is related to this blog entry because they will factor into border controls concerning the Olympics.
RO says: Apparently former Japanese nationals who have renounced their Japanese citizenship are still allowed to enter Japan, if they can show proof of their former Japanese citizenship. See the below post from someone else.
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39 comments on “It’s official: Tokyo 2020 is a “Japanese Only” Olympics: Japanese living abroad still allowed to attend, not foreigners. (UPDATED: This probably includes Japanese who have given up their J citizenship.)”
I pointed this out to several news organizations and overseas media reporters. The only response I got was an invitation to write a letter-to-the-editor. “Our sports dept. has run several articles on this, ho, hum.”
I guess that’s the breaks when you get to be host, it’s your party.
Now there’s one last question left: Will visible minorities living in Japan be let into the stadiums, or will access be limited to Japanese-looking people only, to not “scare away” overly concerned wajin.
Maybe there will be a snitch site where you can report foreign looking people if you feel “fuan” (不安, anxiety) as mentioned https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/12/04/issues/in-japan-no-escape-from-the-eyes-perpetual-policing-glare/
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210322-japanese-fans-will-cheer-for-all-athletes-at-tokyo-games
“Japanese people hold fair play and hospitality very dear, and we will root for all athletes equally. It might look like everyone is Japanese, but we want to raise the awareness of Japanese fans so that it feels like Tokyo is the whole world.”
Yeah, sure.
Maybe they will issue every Wajin a Guy Fawkes mask. Or you get three choices: Guy, Trump, or Godzilla. Foreigners can go as themselves. That will make everybody feel at home.
Ah, now eventually you do plan to have おもてなし in your, in your おもてなし Olympics right? Hello? Hello? *opens COVID tracking app and taps camera lens on phone*
Hello? Yes?
Oh, special salute of the one fingered variety to the IOC too.
Does anyone else here feel this is like a self fulfilling prophecy of post modernism? That is to say, Japan creates a “sign” おもてなし, which actually does not really reflect reality; it is how Japanese would like to see themselves.
A few years on, the rift between reality and the “sign” because wider and wider to the point of ridicule; “welcome to Japan” when no one can come to Japan.
Ditto the bit about Japanese cheering foreign athletes equally. Another myth. And the bit about the poor in keepers deprived of foreign income..well, whose fault is that?
Their own.
Oh, the irony.
Japan is……no longer a place even worth visiting, and you cannot anyway. I feel we are observers to a slowly sinking ship, while the band plays on.
Its a geopolitical disaster also. A truly democratic and open Japan would be a great counter weight to the nightmare that is China, but sadly Japan’s post fascistic dynasties have chosen to muddy those distinctions by going back to non democratic and xenophobic isolationism.
The Eternal East- the takeaway from Japan since the (18/19)80s is they put out a lot of misleading “signs” and messages, invariably portraying Japan in an unrealistically positive light, and young NJs flock there..only to be mentally scarred from cognitive dissonance or worst still, have their best working years taken from them. Or interns as indentured servitude.
Holding the Olympics was one such sign. “Japan is back” “Japan is open for business”. None of these are remotely descriptive of reality but rather desperate advertisements from a failing brand, that is Japan.
“In fact the whole of Japan is a pure invention,” Oscar Wilde wrote in 1889. “Wilde was ahead of his time. We now have a word, albeit a contentious one, for the phenomenon he touched upon, if incidentally, in “The Decay of Lying.” It is called Orientalism. Orientalism meant “the eternal East.” In his account of Japan Wilde left out only the quotation marks, for he was writing about the simple, serene, perfume-scented “Japan” of the Orientalist’s imaginings.”
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/s/smith-japan.html
“The novelist Kenzaburo Oe complains often about the two images of Japan the West now entertains. There is the old Japan of samurai and Zen gardens, and the new Japan of gadgets and efficiency.”
Sure, he can complain, but its actually the Japanese Government and a whole swathe of society that encourages these illusions.
pre COVID, the Olympics was the ticket that would turn the economy around through massive construction projects and projected tourism, along with Abes immi reform. Trying to understand how this will all work post COVID. No foreigners allowed, therefore none of their currency, and the hospitality industry remains vacant? Is hosting the Olympics now just a face saving exercise? All the billions? spent on those construction projects..where is the return?.
In this mornings news shows (3/25), UTY did a pretty long feature on the “Absent foreigners” in the upcoming Japan Olympics. I listened carefully, and did not hear a single mention of anything not related to the interests of Japan. I realize it is for domestic consumption, but nothing about Japanese passport holders being able to come back to Japan with tickets they purchased overseas…nothing. I assume it is a blackout order from higher ups (conspiracy theory?) that don’t want it mentioned or they just haven’t put it together themselves yet. The only thing even remotely NJ related was an opinion by one of the panelists that thought it was the responsibility of Japan to provide a safe environment for Japanese. No mention of a safe environment for NJ. Even the lawyer on the panel was silent and he usually has a vocal opinion about everything. It was all about the poor Japanese shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and inn managers who will not be benefiting from the influx of foreigner money, we poor Japanese.
There are a few news stories overseas about the tough time overseas foreigner ticket holders will be having to try to get their money back for tickets, some losing many thousands of dollars in cancellation fees, and fees of all sorts.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/23/sports/olympics/tokyo-olympics-ticket-refunds.html
It’s Official: Foreign Ticket Holders Are S—–d
https://tinyurl.com/khrw7fnz
“The Tokyo Olympics barred foreign fans. A ticket company won’t offer full refunds.
Thousands of American fans won’t receive full refunds for their Tokyo Olympics tickets – despite being told last week that, due to COVID-19, foreign spectators won’t be allowed to attend the rescheduled Games.”
Still nothing about overseas Japanese being allowed in with these same tickets NJ have to eat.
Some folks are at least thinking along the lines of selling/giving them to people in Japan or (Japanese passport holders residing out of the country, but its a no go so far). Hopefully its just a matter of time before they catch on.
“Ken Hanscom (@KenHanscom) / Twitter
It is worth noting that there does not appear to be an option at this time to keep your tickets and receive them as PDFs for family or friends in Japan which had been mentioned by another ATR. “
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare official tracker, Japan has one of the lowest vaccination rate in the developed world.
As of March 26th 2021 they’ve vaccinated a total of 822,869 people. This is not the daily rate, this is the TOTAL vaccinations and among those, only 41,204 people TOTAL got their second shot, aka, they’re fully vaccinated.
Looking at the dates also it appears they’re not vaccinating anyone on weekends and each facility (on their last day) is vaccinating an average of 23 people/day.
It baffles me on why Japan is taking it painfully slow considering that when they want to they do things really fast, try to go to any large hospital and see how many people are being visited in any given day.
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/vaccine_sesshujisseki.html
-when they want to they do things really fast.
I see no evidence of this, they dither even in disaster (Kobe, Fukushima etc).
I saw a satire in The Negi or Japanzine, “Road of the Ringu” in which Gandalf goes to Japan to warn them but “as he is an outsider they ignore and hope the problem will go away by itself”
Yeah, thats par the course. Hence the satire strip. Anyone got a screenshot?
https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-japan-pfizer-idUSL4N2KL1QS –
In February there was a supposed syringe shortage in Japan, not sure about today but in early March at least some hospitals still had this problem and resorted to using insulin syringes – sadly, the article suggests that this works only for fairly skinny people (the part about less than 10mm fat under the skin) –
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210309/k10012905751000.html
Although I’m really happy that the vaccination finally started, this suggests that whoever was responsible for the rollout in Japan was incompetent in their planning – there are constant news of vaccine shortages in many (if not most countries), but I haven’t read any piece about a syringe shortage outside Japan.
“whoever was responsible for the rollout in Japan was incompetent in their planning”
I would cynically suggest that in their typically leaderless fashion, that so called personm in charge wasnt really in charge and was waiting for a “consensus” to emerge so he (I assume a male in Japan) could thus afford any individual blame if things go wrong. And they may well do.
Taking jobsworth-ism to extremes under the guise of collectivism. But I have read certain cultural texts that claim businesspeople trying to do business in Japan are wrong to assume there is any one decision maker. I do recall even Sony or some such company in Japan needed a ten out of ten consensus to do anything; so if the grumpy oyaji in the corner wasnt enthusiastic, then the other nine people would defer to intertia. Its got to be unanimous.
I’ve always harbored the suspicion that Japan is hoping for a vaccine to be domestically developed/reverse-engineered so as to provide yet another opportunity to splash tax ¥ around by the trillions in unaccountable non-transparent ways (with associated brown envelope kickbacks and amakudari). You know, not one of those ‘dodgy gaijin’ vaccines, but something made BY Japanese people FOR unique Japanese people’s needs. And of course, the rest of the developed world wouldn’t subject the efficacy of a Japanese vaccine to close scrutiny. And the Japanese government could conceal/present such data any way it wants to make it look good too (such as all the official data manipulation under Abe).
But mostly it’s about sticking snouts in tax ¥ troughs under the guise of national pride.
Oh! Look! Here’s a candidate!
http://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/photo/30932742
Japan’s AnGes speeds toward 2021 rollout in ‘vaccine war’
REUTERS/ASAHI June 10, 2020 (NOTE OLD ARTICLE)
OSAKA–Japanese biotech AnGes Inc. expects its coronavirus vaccine to be ready as early as the first half of 2021, if it can overcome supply chain and production hurdles, the company’s founder said.
The Osaka-based firm had a head start in the potential COVID-19 vaccine development by repurposing its hypertension vaccine that had already passed through high safety and regulatory standards and other hurdles.
Ryuichi Morishita told Reuters that Japan’s health ministry and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency “already had strong confidence in our product” because of that experience.
The comments come as Japan’s government has earmarked $1.3 billion (140 billion yen) in its latest budget for vaccine production as it seeks to put the coronavirus vaccine into use and hopes to host a delayed Tokyo Olympics next year.
Drugmakers around the world are scrambling to develop treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the highly infectious new coronavirus which has so far killed more than 400,000 people worldwide.
There are 10 vaccines in clinical trials and dozens more in preclinical evaluation, according to the World Health Organization, but mass production and allocation remain significant challenges.
Morishita also warned that shortages in everything from drug compounds to glass vials, as hundreds of institutes and companies carry out research simultaneously, have emerged in what he calls a “vaccine war” and could complicate production.
AnGes’s candidate is one of Japan’s best hopes at a coronavirus vaccine, as development is further along than some being produced by other firms such as Shionogi & Co. and Daiichi Sankyo Co.
The AnGes candidate is a plasmid DNA vaccine that disables the connection between the protein spikes of the coronavirus and receptors in human cells.
Early results from tests in mice show increased antibody production, and tests in 30 human volunteers are due to begin in July, with first results expected in September.
By contrast, other candidates such as U.S. firm Moderna Inc.’s vaccine are based on messenger RNA (mRNA) that instructs human cells to make specific coronavirus proteins that produce an immune response. Other varieties are based on inactivated forms of the virus.
Morishita, who launched AnGes 20 years ago out of Osaka University, has seen the company’s market valuation surge more than fivefold to $2.4 billion since it announced its coronavirus campaign in March.
“The future of COVID-19 is very mysterious,” said Morishita, adding that any vaccine would likely need constant tweaking as the virus mutates and returns.
ENDS
“The future of COVID-19 is very mysterious,” said Morishita,” Cue Shakuhachi music, to quote Dr Debito.
Obfuscation is the name of the Japan game, its the direct opposite of communicating; language as a means of conflict and Uncertainty Avoidance (Hofstede) and this gives them the opportunity of never being wrong because they never close the door 100% by saying anything definite.
Blame avoidance also. As with Fukushima and the laughable blaming of culture rather than nuclear power
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/official-fukushima-report-blames-japanese-culture-not-nuclear-power/259665/
CoSport (from New Jersey) will not refund people the ticket fees.
They are the only company that can sell Olympic tickets in the USA.
This article appeared in the Japan Times today. I will post it its entirety as it is important I think. Comment after
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/03/29/national/japan-coronavirus-tracking-app/
“The Japan Times
NATIONAL
How Japan tracks arrivals from abroad to curb the spread of new virus strains
BY MAGDALENA OSUMI
STAFF WRITER
Mar 29, 2021
Looking to prevent coronavirus infections imported from abroad, Japan has beefed up surveillance of people quarantining after entering the country.
Despite stringent border controls — from banning new entries, COVID-19 testing upon arrival and a 14-day quarantine requirement — new virus variants have been found in the country, prompting the government to suspect that arrivals may not have been self-isolating as strictly as they should have.
As a result, Japan introduced a new location-tracking app earlier this month to make sure that those quarantining actually do so.
At present, only Japanese citizens and non-Japanese with legal residence status are allowed to re-enter the country, while nonresident foreign nationals are granted permission to enter only under exceptional circumstances.
How does the tracking system work?
When people arrive at the airport, for instance, they are required to share their contact information, such as phone number and email address, with officials at the Health Monitoring Center for Overseas Entrants (HCO) affiliated with the health ministry. They will also be asked to download a tracking app called OEL (Overseas Entrants Locator) and turn on their GPS location setting so that their whereabouts can be tracked during the quarantine period.
Since March, immigration officers at Haneda and Narita airports have been checking whether the apps are correctly installed. Those who do not have a smartphone need to rent one at the airport.
During the quarantine period, which starts one day after entering Japan, they will receive notification messages from OEL telling them to click “I’m here now” on the app, which will send their location to officials. Previously known as Overseas Student Safety Management Assistance, the app was originally used to help locate Japanese students studying abroad in times of disaster or other emergencies.
“We’re making sure that all entrants can be reached,” a health ministry official said. “And that’s the main change in our efforts to tighten control.”
Those who fail to report their whereabouts will be contacted by Skype or email. Skype video calls will be also used for random checks to confirm whether people are self-isolating where they should be. Quarantine can be done at home or other locations of the individual’s choosing.
How does it work from the operational side?
The HCO has some 100 officials who send messages to confirm locations at least once a day, call people placed under quarantine and supervise the center’s operations.
The number of people entering Japan in February, including Japanese and foreign nationals, dropped significantly to just 34,751, according to the Justice Ministry.
Officials check to see if people entering Japan have installed a location-tracking app on their smartphones at Narita Airport on March 18. | KYODO
The figure in December, when Japan had relaxed its entry ban, was 127,343, giving a hint of what it could be in the months to come.
“We’re currently working on an improved system that would catch if someone has left the place of quarantine” with higher accuracy, a health ministry official in charge of anti-coronavirus measures said, adding that the ministry is planning to increase the number of staff.
How are other countries enforcing quarantine after overseas travel?
It has been a headache for other countries as well, prompting some governments to adopt rigorous quarantine measures and enforce penalties for violators.
For instance, anyone arriving in the U.K. must quarantine for 10 days, undergo tests for COVID-19 and follow national lockdown rules. Those who breach quarantine rules may face a penalty of up to £10,000 (about ¥1.5 million) or imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Singapore last year introduced electronic tags to ensure that incoming travelers, including citizens and foreign residents, comply with local quarantine regulations. According to media reports, a Singapore court last month sentenced a British man to two weeks in jail after he sneaked out of his hotel room to meet his then-fiancee while under quarantine.
Is the new tracking system effective in curbing the spread of the new coronavirus, including the new variants?
Yes, to an extent. But not completely.
The government has high hopes that the technology will help with surveillance. But the app may not necessarily help achieve 100% location accuracy, as there is a margin of error up to 100 meters.
What is more important, a health ministry official overseeing quarantine procedures said, was whether those who are supposed to self-isolate after entering Japan actually adhere to the rules.
In fact, many people coming from abroad have said that they were told it was all right to visit a convenience store, a supermarket or a drugstore outside busy hours if they could not find anyone to help them purchase food or necessities.
Officials hope that the written assurance they are obligated to sign, pledging they will abide by the rules, will be a deterrent.
A revised quarantine law also says that anyone who gives false information may face up to six months of imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥500,000. Health ministry officials, however, see the penalties for noncompliance as a last resort.
New variants in Japan
As of March 23, there have been 649 reported cases of the new variants of the coronavirus, which are believed to be up to 70% more transmissible, since the first case in December when a Japanese man arriving from Britain tested positive.
He was found to have dined with a group of people within the first few days after returning home, spreading the new strain of the virus to other participants of the gathering.
Back then, the 14-day self-isolation period was merely a nonbinding voluntary request. But with the spread of the variants, Japan has adopted stricter measures for those entering the nation from abroad regardless of nationality. They must:
Submit negative COVID-19 test results before they depart for Japan
Undergo another coronavirus test after arrival
Sign a written assurance that they will adhere to all quarantine rules
If they don’t comply, they may have their names disclosed, or even have their residence status revoked if the individual is a foreign resident.
People arriving from 26 countries where the new variant is rampant will need to undergo further measures, namely staying at a designated facility and taking a further test for the virus on the third day after entering the country.”
Here is the proof that those with Japanese passports have been and continue to be able to enter the country uninhindered except for the self-quarantine restrictions and tracer app. What surprises me is the number of people even in February who entered the country even under a world wide travel ban. Most of these I suspect are Japanese nationals returning from abroad. Given some, no doubt, are foreign nationals, the article does not specify them by nationality. That is still a lot of people entering the country but not nearly as many as December of last year at the peak of the pandemic lockdowns.
Margin of error of up to 100 meters? What would keep people from leaving their smartphone on their pillow while they step out to stretch their legs?
Yeah, I noticed this too. Why are 30,000 Japanese traveling in and out of the country during a global pandemic? And that’s just one month!
And where do they go?
‘Foreign countries’.
So why not let resident NJ in?
Here is some things of interest. It is fluid and may change, but at the moment it seems that in fact buyers of tickets abroad may use them IF THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO ENTER JAPAN. Or they may give/sell them to people already in Japan. I assume “TOCOG” is Tokyo Olympic Committee Organizing Group” since they may have not wanted to use the word committee twice in the title.
https://mobile.twitter.com/KingdomSG
“There is conflicting info about Event Tickets for Tokyo 2020. We have received Official communication from TOCOG. KSG must select tickets to return and be cancelled. Tickets issued internationally REMAIN VALID. There is not a blanket cancellation of all Int. tickets to Tokyo 2020.”
Games Postponement to 2021 (kingdomsg.com)
“With that said and as a matter of clarification, thus, as for those people who are residing in Japan or overseas residents who will be eligible to enter Japan (regardless of whether or not the person holds the Tokyo 2020 tickets), in compliance with the immigration rules of Japan (including regulations on both entry and during the stay), and if they can attend a games session using a ticket as long as they comply with such established rules, then they will use the ticket. Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee won’t cancel tickets unless they are submitted for a return.”
So that pretty much verifies it. People with tickets who are allowed to enter the country can use those tickets at the Olympics. So that means Japanese passport holders and former Japanese nationals along with a few NJ who have very special reasons to be able to get in, will be able to enter Japan for the games.
Here is the written pledge that everyone must sign when entering the country. Includes Japanese nationals as well as NJ I assume:
Microsoft Word – リンクB・誓約書（英文） (mofa.go.jp)
Here is the Ministry of Justice website:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page22e_000921.html
Olympic Qualifying Events Consider Cancellation on account of
Fairness of the Competition and Reluctance to Go To Japan.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2021/04/02/more-sports/swimming/fina-olympic-diving-qualifier/
“According to the source, FINA and Olympic organizers are mulling whether to cancel the April 18-23 event at Tokyo Aquatics Center after some of the participating teams expressed their reluctance to travel to Japan.
The risk of corona virus infection among athletes and officials as well as the fairness of the competition are thought to be some of the factors that have influenced FINA’s decision making.”
Sure they might be concerned about catching the V in Japan, but somehow I don’t think this is all of the story. Could it be that they are not willing to submit to the conditions Japan has for entering the country such as extensive pre-testing, the jail like quarantine conditions, the tracking apps, the minders sitting outside your room in case you forget a rule like no coughing or sneezing, or wear a mask, or goodness forbid, actually come into contact with a native person. Maybe being fined, jailed, or deported is kind of a kill joy when it comes to actually performing a sport and not just being the beneficiary of its second hand knock off effects like broadcasting revenue and economic benefits.
Then there is the “fairness” reason. I honestly don’t know what to make of this. Could it be that the FINA is concerned that NJ athletes may be competing in an environment that is not equal to the benefits that the Japanese competitors may be enjoying? Maybe submitting to all the protocols and restrictions that NJ have to submit to, along with not even having the benefit of enthusiastic supporters and fans from home is considered “unfair.” Does this call into question the “fairness” of the Olympic games themselves? That would be interesting.
I suppose the fairness argument has something to do with the last round of training just before the competition as final preparation. Hard to do if you are locked away in a small room until the competition while Japanese competitors are free to do their proper final preparation on site (or a similar site).
These articles clarify things a bit. Not looking good for Tokyo.
https://tinyurl.com/cs9f83n4
“NHK has learned that a water polo test event for the Olympics scheduled to open on Saturday in Tokyo will be canceled.
Concern is growing about the possible impact the cancellation of such events will have on the Tokyo Games”
FINA Cancels All Three Remaining Olympic Qualifiers in Japan (insidesynchro.org)
“FINA took this decision shortly after the Japanese Swimming Federation communicated its planned COVID-19 protocols for the event.
On April 3, it updated its website to reflect the cancellation of all three Olympic Qualification Tournaments and to pull them out of Japan.
“1. A very negative opinion from FINA’s Task Force on the COVID-19 plan sent by Tokyo. In their view, this plan will not properly ensure health and protection guarantees to participants;
2. A new communication from Tokyo requesting FINA responsibility for the additional costs related with the implementation of COVID-19 countermeasures;
3. Reports from National Federations that Japanese Embassies around the world are still not ready to launch the visa procedure;
4. The mandatory three-day quarantine is requiring a change of travel plans for ITOs, TDC members, and FINA staff. This has obviously some financial consequences and some withdrawals have already been communicated to FINA.”
FINA also criticized the Japanese government, which in its opinion “did not take all the necessary measures to ensure a successful and fair organization of this competition.
the governing body would immediately take all the necessary steps to find an alternative date and location “
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210406_03/
“NHK has learned that a water polo test event for the Olympics scheduled to open on Saturday in Tokyo will be canceled.”
And in a bit of clever editing NHK says: “The events were cancelled because of strict Covid restrictions on athletes.”
Notice they forget to mention “foreign athletes” are the ones who will be strictly quarantined and controlled giving the impression that ALL athletes were going to be under the same restrictions. Not good NHK!
Apparently North Korea has pulled out of the Games.
Gov’t mulls prioritizing Japan Olympic athletes for COVID shots (Kyodo).
Someone apparently woke up to the fact that most athletes from most advanced countries will be vaccinated by the time of the Games and probably wants to spare Japanese athletes the embarrassment of being not despite the “advanced country” mantra Japan still brags with. “Olympics first” at its worst… again.
According to this article, Japanese citizens who have emigrated but renounced their citizenship are eligible to attend the Games. Have they said anything about non-Japanese people who became Japanese citizens and then left the country? Will they be able to attend the Games?
How Japan Plans To Japanize Another So-Called International Event.
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1106924/athletes-daily-saliva-testing-tokyo-2020
“Athletes could be tested for coronavirus every day at this year’s rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics with organizers reportedly looking to use saliva-based tests to spot possible infections. “
Now we can see the strategy, give foreign athletes daily tests and when the “chosen” athlete tests positive just before their competition, whisk them off to the Covid Hotel where they check in, but never leave, except to get on the next plane back to wherever they came from. Funny how it will be those foreign athletes who are most competitive in their respective fields, and by default expected to give Japanese athletes the most trouble. By the time the NJ athlete finds out they didn’t have the V, they will be long out of the country, and the evidence will be ashes in the land-fill, the games just a memory. If the false tests don’t work well enough, I am sure they have other handicapping ideas up their sleeves.
Some may be thinking; “Oh you are just being silly, they wouldn’t do that!” Want to bet? They already have been doing it for years. Ask any NJ baseball player who hit too many home runs or threw too many strikes, who began to outshine their Japanese co-players and suddenly found, despite their improving and superior performances, that their contracts would not be renewed for the upcoming season. Or the professional, third tier, golfers who are the only ones allowed to compete in Japanese golf competitions just to give the organizers the right to put “International” in the title of their event. Or the foreign sumo wrestlers who are limited to two per stable, and told to go home if they win too many bouts. I could go on with just about any other sport you could name, but the evidence is plain to see. An International Olympics without foreign fans is just the start, next will be an Olympics without significant foreign competition, or actually just enough for the cameras, and be able to call it “International.” What a pleasure that will be.
Ha ha ha ha ha!
Japan to win EVERY gold, silver and bronze medal at Tokyo Olympics giving Suga a ‘tailwind’ going into the next election!
‘One Lower House member said the games must go ahead even if no foreign athletes participate’.
Is it really ‘winning an Olympic gold’ if you are the only competitor?
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/14/national/ldp-olympics-pessimism/
I’ve joked with my wife (an ardent opponent of the Games since the fiasco with the logo plagiarism and the explosion of construction costs) about a Japanese only Olympics the other day. Her reply paraphrased: so the IOC is throwing an overblown kokumin taiiku taikai then.
How Japan is re-creating the Olympics in its own image.
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1106924/athletes-daily-saliva-testing-tokyo-2020
Daily unannounced testing.
“If athletes test positive, they are to self-isolate immediately and will not be allowed to compete in the games. However, to mitigate the likelihood of false positives in testing, athletes will have to have a number of false tests before they are barred from competing, the specifics of which will be revealed in April.”
And what really caught my attention: The IOC will be in charge of judging whether tests are valid or not. So an organization as pathetically corrupt as the IOC is going to be in charge of the validity of something? Dracula/blood-bank, 101.
False Positive Test Disqualifies Top Performing Athletes.
“Athletes get taste of what may be in store at COVID-era Olympics The Japan Times”
Making a list, checking it twice. These test events are just make it easy for the JOC to see who is on top of their game and put them on the Covid False Positive Test list. They already will have a room reserved for them at the Covid Gulag no doubt.
Vaccination Delays For Multiple Benefits To Come
EXPLAINER: Why Japan has been slow to roll out vaccinations (apnews.com)
“Pfizer’s international tests were conducted from July to November on about 44,000 people in six countries, including about 2,000 Asians. Japan requested tests on 160 Japanese people, triggering criticism that testing such a small number added little but delay.”
Yes delay is the point. I am not a vaccine advocate, but Japan is just playing the same old game it always does with anything that might take a bite out of domestic-financial-benefit according to the bean counters, delay, delay, delay, until a local brand has a chance to be cloned , and then shut out the dreaded foreign make. So what happens is predictable, the Japanese population is almost UN-vaccinated, while the rest of the world forges ahead, and leaves Japan in its xenophobic bubble. This time the Olympics are at stake though, which does nothing to change the “outsiders are trouble” mindset of Japan. This time their sabotage backfired, and is destroying support for the events among the public. Serves them right.
If Japan validated a vaccine it would have to validate its use for athletes in the games, which is does NOT want to do. Those false positives will do the trick nicely thank you.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/olympics-covid-19-fake-cheers-empty-seats-tokyo-gives-glimpse-14780670
Psychological Warfare
“Fake cheers, empty seats and the sound of pounding feet: Welcome to the Tokyo Olympics.”
This epitomizes the Japan that we all know and love today, totally fake everything, lacking in real substance. A facade of reality. An image of what a real country should look like without actually being one. There wont even be any free foreign press allowed to roam around checking on any suspicious activities. A perfect set up for a corruption. How did Japan ever get to host the Olympics anyway? Oh yeah, I forgot….. the envelops.
Finally, someone (besides me) in Western media thinks Japan has ulterior motives for banning foreign spectators.
Paul Klee: Take it from 4-time U.S. Olympic athlete Hunter Kemper: Tokyo Games banning spectators changes everything (yahoo.com)
“Japan has banned overseas spectators from entering the country, supposedly due to COVID-19 concerns. “
Now just waiting for those false positive, virus tests to see if that raises any eyebrows.
Olympian Sakura Kokumai Says She’s in a ‘Very Fortunate Position’ to Have Family Cheer for Her in Tokyo (yahoo.com)
“I’m in a very fortunate position because I do have family in Japan. It’s just a matter of them trying to get tickets,” said Kokumai, who lives in California and lived in Japan, where her parents are originally from.
Yes she is, but somebody forgot to tell her to keep her mouth shut about it.
Japan Declares “War” on Foreign Journalists Ahead of Games
AIPS President slams “crazy instructions” journalists must follow at Tokyo 2020 (insidethegames.biz)
At least that is the way it seems. An Tokyo 2020 memo sent this week warned reporters that “people of Japan will be playing close attention to your every move as you participate in the Games.
That’s good, create paranoia in Journalists who might write something derogatory about Japan.
Read the full article for insight on how Japan plans to restrict NJ journalists.
—- Let’s have the complete link, please. I went to the site and couldn’t find the article.
Here is the link to the article I refer to:
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1109713/international-sports-journalists-ass
This is getting some traction in other papers:
U.S. media say anti-COVID steps at Olympics go against press freedoms (kyodonews.net)
The letter dated Monday, a copy of which was seen by Kyodo News, said a ban on visiting foreign journalists interviewing spectators and conducting interviews is a “clear overreach” targeted at them as media in Japan will not face the same restrictions, regardless of their vaccination status.
—- Thanks.
============================
AIPS President hits out at “crazy instructions” journalists must follow at Tokyo 2020
By Philip Barker Inside the Games, Friday, 2 July 2021
International Sports Journalists Association (AIPS) President Gianni Merlo has urged Tokyo 2020 organisers to re-examine restrictions set to be imposed on journalists covering the Games.
“The people of Japan must not see us as an enemy bringing coronavirus,” Merlo said today at an event marking World Sports Journalists Day.
“We are coming not to destroy, but to bring a message of hope.
“The big danger is that this kind of campaign is putting the foreigners going there as infectors so people will be afraid of us and this can sometimes cause us a problem.”
Merlo described some of the measures as “the most crazy instructions we have had in our lives”.
“It is important we begin to discuss with the organisers in a kind way, because we understand their mind, we understand how difficult it is for them but we have to find a solution together, if possible a human solution because I cannot believe that the hospitality of Japan is this way.
“It is a special occasion but we are not at war.”
Journalists travelling to the Olympics Games will be confined to hotels for the first three days and restricted to a carefully ordained itinerary for the first 14.
“In some ways we are exactly a kind of prisoner at home,” Claimed Merlo.
He also warned: “In some ways, they are asking the population of Japan to spy on everyone.
“This is not acceptable.”
Visiting journalists will not be permitted to interview Japanese citizens under regulations in force.
An Tokyo 2020 memo sent this week warned reporters that “people of Japan will be playing close attention to your every move as you participate in the Games.
“In the unlikely event that you are suspected or found to be infringement of the Playbooks, such activity may be photographed and shared on social media by bystanders.”
USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan, among more than 100 journalists who joined the conference online to commemorate World Sports Journalists Day, and raised issues with the rules.
“We implore them to look at some of these rules and regulations, we are not the enemy,” Brennan said.
“I completely understand and respect the organisers difficulties and concerns, I know we all do.
“We are following the rules, and for those who are fully vaccinated, there doesn’t seem to be much consideration for that.”
The editors of the New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, USA Today and eight other American media outlets have already written to Tokyo 2020 in protest at the rules, claiming that they “go beyond limiting the spread of the virus and speak directly and chiefly to press freedoms”.
Shinsuke Kobayashi, deputy managing director of news agency Kyodo, spoke from Tokyo and told the meeting, “I don’t intend to defend the Organising Committee or make any excuse for all the measures they are implementing.
“The fatal mistake was that Japan was very slow in vaccination and not many people are vaccinated yet.
“Japan tried to prevent the pandemic by taking all these meticulous measures of wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding contact, unlike Europe and the United States in presenting the vaccine as soon as possible.
“Japan didn’t take this approach.”
Even after vaccination people feel “uneasy and unsafe” claimed Kobayashi.
“What the Organising Committee is trying to do is avoid this negative reaction from the public, the opposition to hold the Olympics.
“The most recent poll said 86 per cent feel that an Olympics in Japan would make them very uneasy.
“This country is an island and people have a scepticism to what is coming from overseas.”
Kobayashi insisted that “the organisers are not targeting the foreign media but are looking at the public.
“They are trying to make the public as quiet as possible.
“That’s the reason the measures look [like] overreacting.
“The Organising Committee is trying to make the public feel as easy and as safe as possible.
“My advice is wear masks all the time.
“Japanese like masks, even before the pandemic.
“Wear a mask and people will feel more comfortable and not stare at you.”
ENDS
It’s amazing how many NJ athlete have tested positive for covid so far- a quick search reveals Ugandan, Serbian, etc.
But the Japanese news doesn’t seem to want to talk about Japanese journalists with covid interviewing NJ Olympians…
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/japanese-cameraman-tests-positive-for-covid-19-was-involved-in-interview-with-singapore-table
My personal Olympic prediction is that the non-existent ‘bubble’ has failed already and that there will be a huge number of athletes sidelined for testing positive with the whole thing becoming a war of attrition just to get to the end of the schedule, and being judged a ‘success’ for avoiding mid-games cancellation.
Pretty pathetically low bar.
Will there be a new article now that not even Japanese fans will be allowed to attend the Games?
Making Japans Hit List, Checking It Twice.
I agree with that scenario Jim, and I would take it one step further even though Journalism schools frown on reporting events that have not yet happened. In Japan”s case though it is a clear, crystal ball. The news articles or a version of them, have already been written:
https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics-best-athletes-2021-team-usa-110025228.html
“Poor said athlete, who has been training for years and was desperate to compete in the Olympics (insert name here from list above) has tested positive for the virus and is currently in quarantine. Our tests are unique and infallible created with enviable Japanese technology (blah, blah). Unfortunately, this said athlete (or team of athletes) are disqualified from competing in their event, and will be on the next plane home before they can spread their germs to any of our native sons. Quote from said athlete: “I don’t know how I (we) got it, I tested negative before I came to Japan, I was so careful, I am so sorry, sniffle, sniffle.” Said athlete (s) were expected to at least medal in their event, it is so sad, (platitude, platitude). Its hard to say how they contracted it, but obviously they were not careful enough, and didn’t follow our special rules like a Japanese would, so naturally they came down with it. They are NJ anyway, so who cares.”
And so the athlete goes home only to find out they never had it, or had something else, it doesn’t matter, the games are finished for them. Meanwhile the foreign press has so many restrictions put on it, it cant report anything from Japan accurately, (notice how this development fits snugly into the plan). The Japanese press is ecstatic about how many Japanese are miraculously able to win medals thereby proving the Yamato superior DNA brand.
It provides the perfect alibi, blame the victim for coming down with the disease thereby exonerating Japan of any culpability. Then create a (last man standing) event, which will include the most competitive Japanese and eliminate the most likely foreign competitors. Then hamstring those pesky foreign journalists who might be able to blow the lid off the narrative, and voila! You have an Olympics made in the glory of the emperor. An outlier might slip through but that’s OK, it just adds credibility to the false narrative that the games are fair.
The thing with sports, which some may disagree with, is that while the suicide of a conversation teacher, or the abuse of a child in a park by a self-obsessed ojisan, might get a tisk,tisk, and be soon forgotten, people take their sports VERY seriously. Point in evidence, is the amount of money involved which tells you where peoples attention lies. Will it be enough to change anything? I doubt it.
https://www.wionews.com
“Reuters
FRI JUL 16, 2021 / 3:55 AM EDT
Olympics-Ugandan athlete goes missing, host city searching with police
(Reuters) – An Ugandan athlete in Japan for the Olympics has gone missing, and the team’s host city in western Japan is conducting a search with police, Japan’s top government spokesman said on Friday.
Public broadcaster NHK reported the athlete was a weightlifter, and that an official at the host city, Izumisano, in Osaka prefecture, noticed he was missing during a PCR test. (Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki Editing by Chang-Ran Kim) ”
I knew this would happen, and it will happen again many times before this is over. The question is what will they do with him. He will show up soon with a big smile on his face and a “what is the problem?” attitude about it. They will probably make an example of him by punishing him some way, overreacting of course. If the police find him first he may be the first Olympic casuality. Big black scary weightlifter that he is. Bad feeling about this.