It was also a mistake by Abe to invest in the Olympics with an excessive significance, which arguably made it more difficult to listen to the government's medical advisors and the public. However, it would be mistake to assume that the Tokyo Games disappointments reveal something fundamental about Japans position on the international stage.Abe's enthusiastic support for the Olympic bid was the product of a powerful marriage of nostalgia over the 1964 Olympics, which Japan first truly returned to the international stage in post-war Japan, and his own ambitions of changing the narrative about Japans decline. Suga, Abe and other concerned boosters can take heart: Japan does not need the Olympics to be relevant in a time when it is playing a greater role in the world's biggest challenges, such as combating climate change and boosting the global public and trade systems.Japan, which will host the Olympics, may not be the confident and proud great power Abes hoped for. It still faces the daunting challenge of a shrinking, aging population. While its near-term economic outlook is grim, the government and the private sector continue to search for the right formula to ensure sustainable long-term growth. These challenges are not the sign of an aging superpower with declining global relevance but a warning sign for other rich democracies that they will face. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics was Japan's debut as an emerging superpower during the early stages of its economic miracle. However, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics will confirm Japans status of a mature, wealthy democracy facing many of the same problems as its counterparts. Japan has finally become a normal country.It is this very normalcy which makes it difficult for the Tokyo Games to create either a triumphalist narrative or a declinist narrative about Japan's contemporary history. The Japanese government has been criticised for allowing Tokyo to play under its fourth emergency, while Abe and Suga were criticized for being too reactive in responding to Covid-19. However, Japan has performed better than any other G-7 member in terms of absolute and relative cases and mortality. Although its vaccine rollout was slow, it is now inoculating at a rate close to 1 million people per hour, with over 30 percent having received at most one dose.The same government that is struggling to secure an Olympic Games has been aggressively reorienting industrial policies towards decarbonization. This was after Suga promised to achieve net zero emission by 2050. Climate push demonstrates an admirable ability to be creatively flexible and adaptable in the face of a global crisis. While Japan has been criticised for its strict travel restrictions and unclear instructions for foreigners who entered the country to watch the Olympics, the Abe government opened Japan's doors to foreign tourists and residents in the years preceding the games.With relatively little fanfare Japan has remained an important source of development financing across Asia. This is especially notable given China's Belt and Road initiative. The bottom line is that, despite all the political, economic, and social limitations, Japan today is making the most out of its ability to manage crises that will continue to be with the world even after the athletes have left Tokyo.This may not be the story Abe wanted to tell about Tokyo's bid. It may not bring comfort to Suga who will need to win another term as leader and candidate for a general election in November. Suga could face serious political consequences if the Olympics result in more Covid-19 cases, despite his assurances. However, it is normal for a democracy to experience the wrath and ire of its citizens.Abe recalled the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as a sign of Japan's recovery from World War II. Abe wrote in his memoirs about how the spectacle of the games made him feel that Japan would be able to do something great. He wrote that our country had been rebuilt from the ashes and was now able to host the Olympics.History was to be repeated under Abe's leadership. 2020 would be the Reconstruction Olympics as Japan sought to rebuild following the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent tsunami. Olympics were a prominent part of the government's plans. Sometimes called Abenomics (Abes eponymous economic revival program), the Olympics were a major focus. Status anxiety surrounding the Tokyo Games grew as it became obvious that China would be able to host the first post Covid Olympics.However, this anxiety was not justified. Japan has become more open and respected as a global leader in climate, trade and development finance, thanks to Abe's efforts. It's not 1964: Japan does not need the Olympics to prove that it is a significant player on the international stage.
