Japanese citizens reject Tokyo Olympics

An online petition calling for the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics received more than 150,000 signatures just days after its launch in Japan.

The emergence of this petition comes at a time when the capital Tokyo, the second largest city of Osaka and several other regions are already in a state of emergency with the number of COVID-19 infections on the rise, particularly in from new variants.

The state of emergency will end on May 11, but according to some reports in Japan, the situation is likely to continue.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which were to take place last year, are now scheduled in less than three months, namely July 23, 2021.

The petition is addressed to the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, who is due to visit Japan next week.

Thomas Bach is due to meet the Olympic Torch Reading Team on May 17 in Hiroshima and may also travel to Tokyo where the anti-Olympic protests will be held.

Although 70 to 80 percent of Japanese citizens polled said they wanted the Olympics to be canceled or postponed, so far organizers have said it will still go as planned.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Tokyo Olympic Games Organizing Committee Chairman Seiko Hashimoto and Thomas Bach have repeatedly stated that the Olympics will continue.