The impulse behind Japan’s decision to go on with the Olympic games
Nationalism explains what rationality cannot
F EWER THAN 50 days remain before the apparently unstoppable opening of the 2020 summer Olympic games in Tokyo. The pandemic led to their postponement last year. Today the clock is ticking down against a backdrop of resurgent infections of covid-19 in Japan, a state of emergency in Tokyo and nine other prefectures, hospitals filling up and widespread opposition to the games from the public, businessfolk and medical experts.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Minus the shooting”
Asia June 5th 2021
From the June 5th 2021 edition
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