Nearly every major event around the world has been canceled in an attempt to slow down the coronavirus pandemic—but Japan appears to be carrying on with the Olympics as if nothing is happening. In maddening scenes, hundreds of people gathered in a tightly packed crowd Friday to watch the beginning of the Olympic torch relay ahead of Tokyo 2020. Reuters reports that about 500 people gathered in the city of Ishinomaki, which is around 200 miles north of Tokyo. The relay began in Greece last week, but was abandoned in Europe after one day to avoid gathering crowds. “It is not a good decision (to come here) but I am not sure if I will get another chance to see the cauldron,” said Ishinomaki resident and teacher Kiyotake Goto. The Japanese government and Olympic organizers have repeatedly said the Games—due to start at the end of July—will go ahead as planned, but it’s increasingly difficult to see how that could happen.
