Tokyo Olympics: New survey shows Japanese still want Games delayed or cancelled

More than 70 percent of people in Japan want the Tokyo Olympics cancelled or delayed as the coronavirus pandemic rolls on, a Kyodo News poll has shown.

With just over 100 days until their planned start, the survey showed 39.2 percent want the Games scrapped, while 32.8 percent favour another delay.

Only 24.5 percent of respondents want the world's largest sporting event to go ahead as scheduled.

Tokyo has begun a month-long period of quasi-emergency measures to blunt a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, driven by virulent mutant strains.

More than 92.6 percent of respondents felt anxiety about the resurgence of infections, the Kyodo survey conducted from April 10-12 showed.

While vaccination shots for people aged 65 and above have begun at some 120 sites across the country, the imported doses are still in short supply and the pace of inoculations is unlikely to stop the latest wave of infections.

The survey found about 60 percent of people were dissatisfied with Japan's progress on vaccinations.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's cabinet approval rate rose 1.9 percentage points from a month earlier to 44 percent, while his disapproval rating was at 36.1 percent, the survey showed.

Reuters