A Look at the Tokyo 2020 Venues From the Skies Above

Tags: Currents World News

Japan spent billions of dollars to prepare for these summer games, including $1.5 billion on its Olympic Stadium. 

Then came the pandemic, and most venues were suddenly closed to Olympic spectators.

Hosting the Tokyo 2020 summer games is a massive logistical challenge.

There are almost 70,000 seats in that stadium, but nearly all of them are empty.

Japan is enforcing the Olympics first ever spectator ban creating a dramatically scaled down opening ceremony. Organizers say only about 950 VIPs are attending, including U.S. First Lady Jill Biden.

Police have also shut down surrounding roads and even fenced off the perimeter.

For everyday folks, this is their only shot at seeing the Olympics up close.

Public opinion polls show the Japanese overwhelmingly don’t want the games to go forward, but you wouldn’t know it looking at the long lines of people who are waiting to take selfies in front of the olympic rings.

The Olympic bubble is to protect athletes from COVID-19, but a small and growing number of athletes are testing positive even inside the Olympic village.

Athletes are tested for COVID daily and are asked to arrive five days before competing and leave two days after. 

Most of the Olympic venues are here in Tokyo. Japan invested billions only to have fake crowd noise echoing through all those empty stands.