Society

Tokyo Olympic athletes required to sign waiver over health and heat risks ahead of games

May 30 (Japan Times) - The organizers of this summer’s Tokyo Olympics plan to require athletes to acknowledge that they may face health risks or death caused by coronavirus infections and intense summer heat if they compete in the games, a document detailing conditions for participation showed Friday.

The International Olympic Committee has included such risks in a waiver that must be signed by athletes, stipulating that they take part in the games at their “own responsibility,” according to a copy seen by Kyodo News.

The waiver is unusual as the IOC did not specifically mention such risks in the waivers for the Summer and Winter Games held since at least 2008, even though some took place amid fears of infectious diseases and air pollution.

The last Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 were staged when many were worried about the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which led several athletes to withdraw from the games. In 2010, the Vancouver Winter Olympics went ahead despite concern over the global outbreak of the swine flu.

During an online conference attended by Olympic officials and athletes on Thursday, Lana Haddad, the IOC’s chief operating officer, said the entry form for the Tokyo Games has been “updated to include COVID-19 related considerations,” when addressing worries raised by a member of the U.S. athlete committee.

Imperial Family Pays Tribute to War Victims

The Emperor, Empress, and their daughter Princess Aiko visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall in Sumida Ward on Thursday afternoon, marking their first visit to the site as Japan observes the 80th year since the end of World War II. They were greeted upon arrival by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other officials.

First Snow Caps Mount Fuji, 15 Days Earlier Than Last Year

The Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory announced on October 23rd that the season’s first snow had been observed on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters tall. Around 6 a.m., an official visually confirmed that snow had clearly accumulated near the summit.

Tokyo’s Aging Expressway Reborn After Major Overhaul

After nearly a decade of construction, the newly rebuilt Haneda Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, one of Tokyo’s key arteries linking the city center with Haneda Airport, has been unveiled to the media ahead of its official switch to a new road on October 29th.

New Cabinet Takes On 'Takaichi Color'

The newly launched Takaichi Cabinet moved into full operation on October 22nd, with early personnel decisions revealing a clear conservative tone. Satsuki Katayama was appointed as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as minister in charge of foreign resident policy, underscoring what observers are calling the emergence of a distinct “Takaichi color.”

Hokkaido Launches Mass Culling After Bird Flu Detected

Authorities in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, have begun culling approximately 460,000 laying hens after a poultry farm in the region’s Iburi area confirmed infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza, marking the first confirmed outbreak of the season in Japan.

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