Tokyo: Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko said on Thursday that discussions are underway to streamline the Olympics and Paralympics.
"The people of Tokyo and Japan will need to show understanding for the games to be held. To gain that support we are considering what needs to be streamlined and simplified," a Japan's broadcaster quoted Yuriko as saying.
She also said the metropolitan government has already held meetings to discuss the matter.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, pushed back a year due to the coronavirus outbreak, is scheduled to open on July 23 next year with the Paralympics to follow on August 24.
A Japanese newspaper reported on Thursday that organisers are considering taking several countermeasures, including mandatory coronavirus testing and having fewer spectators, to make the games safer to hold.
The opening and closing ceremonies of both the Olympics and Paralympics could also be scaled back.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the Olympics and Paralympics should be held in a “complete form” and dismissed an option to reduce the scale of the games.
But on Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stopped short of clarifying whether the government is still sticking to its pledge.
“It is also extremely important to host a secure and safe games,” the top government spokesman said during a news conference.
The sources said the organizing committee and the IOC are already in discussions about revisions to their operational plans to reduce costs and adopt measures against the virus.
“We hope to work together with the government and the organizing committee to look into what can be streamlined and simplified,” Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said. “It will be necessary in order to gain empathy and understanding from the public.”
The Olympics are slated to be held from July 23 to Aug. 8 next year, with the Paralympic Games following between Aug. 24 and Sept. 5.
