The "Banzai"s have faded, but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is still riding high in the opinion polls on his success in getting the 2020 Olympic Games for Tokyo. He should not be begrudged his triumph, but he should be asked some tough questions about Japan's role in the world. These go far beyond the practical issues of whether the games can be organized successfully — surely not a major issue — and whether they will provide the economic boost that everyone hopes.
Abe declared that the Olympics would put Tokyo "at the center of the world." But the real question is: Will Japan use the Olympics to join the real world? Japan has hitherto professed the virtues of being a fully paid-up member of the rich nations' club, but in reality has been semi-detached from the rest of the world on a whole range of vital issues from immigration to banking and business practices and international.
Equally important — and it is really depressing that it is not being discussed at all — is whether the 2020 Games mean overkill by Tokyo, suffocating the rest of the country.
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