TOKYO OLYMPICS TO BE LIMITED TO TOKYO RESIDENTS

The Japanese government is leaning toward limiting spectators at this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics to people living in Japan to ensure safety amid the coronavirus pandemic, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday, according to Kyodo News.

The government was weighing the possibility, with the heads of the five organizing bodies of the postponed Olympics and Paralympics agreeing the same day to decide by the end of March whether overseas spectators will be able to attend the games.

During the online meeting, the representatives including International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach and Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo Games organizing committee, also decided to draw a conclusion by the end of April on how many fans will be allowed to support athletes in the stands at each venue.

Hashimoto told reporters they confirmed that the "top priority" is to hold safe and secure games for all participants, adding she wants to make the decision on spectators from abroad by March 25, when the Japanese leg of the torch relay is set to begin.

"Also with new variants of the virus, it is an issue that needs careful consideration," she told reporters after the five-party meeting, which lasted about 90 minutes.

She said the organizers will place utmost importance on protecting the health of the Japanese people and people who wish to visit the country for the games.

With less than five months until the opening of the Olympics, which were postponed for one year due to the global health crisis, some officials have informally started expressing reservations about letting overseas visitors enter Japan for the sporting extravaganza.

Japanese officials have been studying multiple scenarios, including staging events behind closed doors and holding them with a limited number of spectators.

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