Two weeks before the Olympics, Tokyo and Okinawa have declared another state of emergency. The Olympic Games are deeply involved with interests and are being implemented despite the opposition of many Japanese people.
Following the announcement of the cancellation of the outdoor music festival “ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2021”, which was to be held from August 7, “RADWIMPS” vocalist Yojiro Noda, who was scheduled to perform at the festival, revealed his feelings on Twitter. Last year’s festival was cancelled, and the musician’s unusually long-winded protest has attracted a lot of attention. Here is Mr. Noda’s preamble in full English translation.
The cancellation of ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2021 has been announced.
This year’s festival has been in the works for over a year, with local authorities and others involved in the preparations.
The aim was to drastically reduce the number of spectators, to have only one stage, and to take all possible measures to prevent infection.
However, on the 2nd of July, the Ibaraki Medical Association and 26 other medical associations in the prefecture asked for the event to be cancelled, so they made the difficult decision to cancel it.
It’s a shame as we were all hoping to make it this summer.
It’s a shame too, as the festival was one of the highlights of the summer for many of us in the audience.
The countdown to the Olympics has been in the news every day, with delegations of athletes and officials visiting from abroad and preparations steadily underway, it’s hard to describe the feeling.
Many experts agree that the number of infected people will increase as a result of the Olympics, with or without spectators, but the decision to hold the Games has been made by default. It is disgusting to see the sacrifices made by domestic industries and events in the background.
There is no consideration of the third emergency declaration, which may or may not have been effective, nor any reflection on the results.
I have the impression that the declaration started lukewarmly, without clear numerical targets, and somehow was lifted lukewarmly at that time.
Recently, I feel that “young people who are tired of self-restraint” have somehow become the bad guys.
However, students have been deprived of once-in-a-lifetime events such as coming-of-age ceremony, cultural festival, competitions, and school trips, and yet they have made it this far. And yet, we have come this far, many times in great despair. And yet, here we are, deprived of another once-in-a-lifetime event for “adult reasons”, and we are supposed to keep silent?
Should they be allowed to host the Olympics with over 50,000 foreigners and accept the decision to cancel a domestic event that they have spent over a year preparing for?
With only a month to go before the festival, we would have liked to have been given the opportunity to make all the necessary preparations for the festival to be held until the end, just like the Olympics.
To ask for the cancellation of the event now, during and after the Olympics, seems too arrogant.
On a very personal level, I think it’s a bit of a joke.
I am not opposed to the Olympics.
I just hope that it will be a safe and successful event.
The excitement that comes from sport has pushed me on many occasions.
I believe that it will encourage this country and this world, which has been through this difficult time for more than a year, again and again.
However, no one has explained why the Olympic Games, which are also being called off or postponed by various parties, can be held, but why festivals and events during or immediately after them have to be cancelled.
It has been decided that a fourth state of emergency will be declared today.
The Olympic Games will take place during this period.
But during that time, too many businesses, shops and events will be forced to shut down without proper compensation.
Some people will have to choose between being killed by the virus and being killed financially.
How can we live with such an obvious and huge contradiction? It is time to say “no” to “no”.
translated by me into English from Japanese.
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