Japan Press Weekly

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2021 June 23 - 29 [POLITICS]

Quarter of municipalities in Tokyo decline to participate in project to mobilize schoolchildren to attend Summer Games

One in four local municipalities in Tokyo has decided not to participate in a project to mobilize schoolchildren to attend the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to an Akahata survey.

Akahata on June 28 sent an inquiry to all 62 municipal governments in Tokyo if they will participate in the controversial project. In response, 14 local governments said that they will not take part in the project. Given that the remaining municipalities responded that the matter is “under consideration” or “up in the air”, the number of non-participating municipalities will likely increase.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education expected that about 810,000 schoolchildren would attend the Summer Games. However, as of today, the figure decreased by more than 107,000.

The planned mobilization of schoolchildren has aroused public criticism that the project will put children at risk for COVID-19 and also risk heatstroke on the way to or at the venues.

The Japanese Communist Party Tokyo Metropolitan Assemblymembers’ group on June 21 urged Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko and the chief secretary of the metropolitan education board to cancel the mobilization plan. JCP municipal assemblymembers have also pushed their respective municipalities to not join in the mobilization of children.

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Akahata on June 25 learned that Japan's liaison council of the International Women's Year which consists of 34 nationwide women's NGOs sent to the Tokyo governor and the chief secretary of the metropolitan education board a written request demanding the cancellation of the plan to force schoolchildren to be in attendance at Olympic Game venues.

The women’s rights advocacy council in its document pointed out that an overwhelming majority of the public feel that the holding of the Summer Games amid the pandemic be cancelled. It stressed that as the mobilization plan was formulated before the pandemic, if carried out as planned, the mobilization will entail a considerable risk of exposure of children to COVID-19.

The council demanded the cancellation of the plan in order to protect children’s lives and health.

Past related articles:
> JCP urges Tokyo governor to withdraw from project to mobilize schoolchildren to attend Summer Games [June 22, 2021]
> All municipalities should cancel planned mobilization of schoolchildren to go to Summer Games [June 21, 2021]