Photo/Illutration Mizuki Noguchi, the 2004 Athens Games women's marathon gold medalist, serves as the second torchbearer after the flame lighting ceremony went ahead without an audience in Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympics, in southern Greece, on March 12. (The Asahi Shimbun)

For the 1940 Tokyo Olympics, which never materialized because of World War II, Japan had a grand vision for the Olympic torch relay. 

According to the plan, the Olympic flame, lit in Olympia, was to travel by sea to Syria, and then proceed through the Middle East, India, China and the Korean Peninsula before it arrived in Japan.

The Japanese military was willing to cooperate in making the plan come about.

But its real motive was to collect intelligence by checking out the topography and military deployment of each country along the relay route, Kazuo Hashimoto says in his book "Maboroshi no Tokyo Orimpikku" (Phantom Tokyo Olympics).

Unrelated to any of the Olympic events or athletes, the "logic of war" was already at play.

The Olympic flame for the upcoming Tokyo Games was lit in Olympia on March 12, albeit without an audience because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Within days, the torch relay itself was called off.

Considering the tightening travel restrictions in Europe, I even worry if the flame will make it safely to Japan. 

After the first-ever Group of Seven summit via video conference earlier this week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the G-7 leaders had agreed to hold the Tokyo Olympics "in their entirety."

But with Olympic qualifying events in many nations being canceled right and left, one does not have to be an expert to question the feasibility of going ahead with the plan.

In a recent Asahi Shimbun opinion poll, more than 60 percent of people responding favored postponing the Games.

Which will result in a greater fiscal burden, postponement or cancellation? What is the best solution to ensure the welfare of athletes?

Such questions need to be discussed more openly in public, lest the interests of business leaders and prestige-conscious politicians are allowed to determine the outcome of negotiations behind closed doors. 

We are living in stressful times at the moment, and we naturally want this summer to be made enjoyable by the Olympic Games.

However, that should not mean the Games must be held, no matter the cost.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 18

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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