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Kaetsu University Professor Yoichi Takahashi
likened the number of coronavirus cases in Japan to "a ripple,"
adding "so you're telling me people want to cancel the Olympics
for this? lol lol."
The tweet has garnered over 13,000 retweets since he posted it
on Sunday.
"I can't believe that a special government advisor is a person
who would belittle the deaths of people just to justify hosting
the Olympic Games," said one Twitter user.
Japan has tried to reassure its public that the Tokyo 2020
Olympic Games, which have been rescheduled for July 23-Aug. 8
this year, can be held amid a coronavirus pandemic.
With just over 10,000 fatalities, Japan has suffered fewer
deaths than other countries, but has lagged in rolling out its
vaccine programme and seen a surge in cases in recent weeks.
Takahashi, a former finance ministry bureaucrat, is known to be
close to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and met with him as
recently as a week ago, according to local media.
When asked about Takahashi's comments during a parliamentary
hearing on Monday, Suga said he "will not comment on what
Takahashi said in his personal capacity."
The Suga cabinet's approval ratings dipped to a new low of 40%
according to a poll conducted by broadcaster JNN last week.
The same poll shows 37% of respondents thought the Olympics
should be cancelled, 33% believed that the event should be held
with limited spectators, and 28% thought it should be postponed.
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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