The Imperial Household Agency announced yesterday that the Emperor of Japan, Naruhito, will participate in the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, where he will declare the opening of the event.
However, despite the emperor's confirmed presence, when asked about his participation, a head of the Agency did not confirm to AFP whether Naruhito will actually participate in the event.
The expectation for the emperor's participation beyond a spectator is also due to the fact that his father, Akihito, declared the Nagano Winter Games open in 1998, and his grandfather, Hirohito, declared the same at the Summer Games in Tokyo, in 1964, and at the Sapporo Winter Games, in 1972. It is a tradition, therefore, of the Japanese imperial family.
Naruhito will not be accompanied by Empress Masako. He will be alongside a few hundred Japanese and foreign personalities, as the ceremony, as well as almost all competitions at the Tokyo Games, will take place without public participation and with more restricted guests. There is no news of the participation of great leaders in the world. The emperor has no political power, but he is a symbolic figure.
On the other hand, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who is the honorary chief adviser to the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, informed not to attend the opening ceremony to the organizing committee due to the Corona emergency in Tokyo and the holding without spectators.
Former Prime Minister Abe led the bid for the Tokyo Olympics in 2013, and at the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics five years ago, he made a surprise appearance as a game character himself.
There were high voices calling for a two-year postponement of the Tokyo Olympics due to the corona virus last year, but it was Prime Minister Abe who decided to postpone it for only one year through negotiations with the IOC.
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided not to attend the Olympic opening ceremony. Criticisms like this are pouring out on social media, such as running away because the situation is unfavorable, or being cowardly.
