But this is all rather strange. The cancellation chorus makes it sound like Japan is in the grip of a harrowing wave of COVID-19 cases. But that plainly is not the case.
On the same day, the United States, with nearly three times the population, had 15,000 new cases and 226 deaths. Japan’s total death toll for the entire pandemic is 14,800 – roughly one-tenth of Italy’s and about one-fiftieth of America’s.This is not to suggest that Japan should barrel ahead and host the Olympics, come what may. Accommodating more than 60,000 athletes and their entourages from overseas plainly creates some risk.
Beyond that, department stores are a bit constrained, and everyone is advised to be as careful as possible. Pandemic life in Japan is a lot more normal than it is in Europe.Moreover, given Japan’s low infection and death figures, fears that hospitals will suddenly exceed true capacity are misplaced. Japan has more hospital beds per 1,000 people than almost any other country in the world.
Japan’s health system isn’t perfect, of course. Because it is publicly financed but largely privately run, the government cannot force an increase in capacity as easily as Britain’s National Health Service can. In fact, Japan is perfectly capable of keeping the visiting athletes and their entourages insulated from the population, particularly now that the authorities may prohibit spectators from all events.Given the realities on the ground, the Japanese government is unlikely to accede to the cancellation chorus. Doing so would mean national humiliation.