Pride and anxiety mingle in Japan as Olympic medal tally and Covid cases rise

Outdoor events have drawn huge turnouts in Tokyo despite public concern over coronavirus

Japan broke two records last week. On Thursday, the day its athletes took their medal haul to a level not seen in the country’s Olympic history, the host city reported 5,042 coronavirus cases – the highest daily total since the start of the pandemic.

Japan has continued to widen the gap between its Tokyo 2020 medal count and Rio, where it won 41. Now, with 56, it is third in the overall table behind China and the US on the eve of the closing ceremony.

Continue reading...