Support rising in Japan for Tokyo Olympics this summer: poll

According to polls, a majority in Japan still prefer the cancellation or postponement of the Tokyo Olympics but support for the event is rising

Despite rising support for the event in Japan, a majority still want postponement or cancellation, according to recent polls

Around a third of Japanese now back holding the Olympics, up from just 14 percent last month, a new poll showed Monday, though a majority still prefer cancellation or postponement because of the pandemic.

The poll reinforces other recent surveys that suggest opposition to Tokyo 2020 is softening slightly, just over a month before the July 23 opening ceremony.

However, 32 percent still want the Games to be cancelled altogether and 30 percent want the games to be delayed again, down from 43 percent and 40 percent in last month's survey, respectively.

The Asahi survey was conducted on June 19 and 20, with 1,469 responses from people contacted on home and mobile phones.

The shift in sentiment will be welcome news for organisers, who are expected to announce later Monday how many local fans, if any, will be in the stands for the Games.

That rule is scheduled to be in place until July 11, after which the cap will expand to 10,000 people or 50 percent capacity.

Japan has seen a comparatively small virus outbreak, with around 14,500 deaths despite avoiding harsh lockdowns.

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