Japanese politicians are often driven to act by gaiatsu—the Japanese word for “external pressure”—and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga got a welcome dose of it in Cornwall, England, last week when his fellow G-7 summiteers endorsed holding the Olympic Games in Tokyo next month.
The G-7’s backing helped offset the Japanese public’s negative reaction to the crude and offensive gaiatsu coming from International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials, who in recent weeks have arrogantly insisted that the games will go forward no matter what—never mind the danger from COVID-19. The IOC statements embarrassed Suga and the government, making it seem as if the Japanese had no say in the matter, and only caused a backlash against the games.
