Tokyo Olympics and Japan's New 'Trouble'

On May 12, the Japanese government spokesperson reacted to reports about indirect payments to a 'disgraced' member of the International Olympic Committee, stating that the hosting of the 2020 Olympics was achieved through legitimate means. A day earlier, The Guardian reported that the Tokyo Olympic Committee had transferred approximately 1.3 million euros to the account of Lamint Diack's son, a former member of the International Olympic Committee. Diack has previously been suspected of receiving over one million euros in bribes from Russia during the cover-up of doping results for its athletics team. He is currently in France, banned from leaving, and investigations into his allegations are ongoing. The new report and its potential consequences come at a time when the Japanese government is trying to alleviate pressures from widespread protests regarding the Olympic logo or the main stadium for the 2020 Games. New allegations could increase pressures on the International Olympic Committee, which has been reforming its structure since 2002 due to corruption cases in the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, the Japanese government is also trying to relieve pressures from widespread protests regarding the Olympic logo or the main stadium for the 2020 Games. According to Reuters, the Japanese government spokesperson stated that hosting was achieved through legitimate means. Yoshihide Suga, during a press conference on May 12, said he had no information about this matter, but if French judicial authorities request an investigation, Tokyo would respond appropriately. The Japan Times also quoted a spokesperson for 'Tokyo 2020' stating that the committee 'believes it was awarded hosting because the city made the best proposal.' The Japanese Summer Olympics will take place after this year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which itself is overshadowed by widespread protests and an uncertain political situation. If the recent scandal is proven, it would deal another blow to the most important and largest sporting event and possibly the most extensive simultaneous gathering of people worldwide; 206 countries have national Olympic committees, while the United Nations has 193 members. The International Olympic Committee has a longer history than the United Nations, dating back to 1894.