Japan: PM Suga's ratings take a hit amid Tokyo Olympics

The Olympics are currently underway in Japan, under the shadow of COVID-19. While the country may be able to succesfully finish the games even as cases rise, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is losing support.

According to Nikkei business daily survey from July 23-25, voter support for Suga slid by nine points to reach 34 per cent - his lowest approval stats since he took office last September.

The survey was revealed on Monday amid Olympic games in Tokyo, which were postponed last year owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and opened on Friday.

According to the survey, two-third respondents feel that the country's rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations is not going well. The campaign has faced a series of hiccups including a slow start and supply chain issues. Less than a quarter of Japan's population is currently vaccinated.

The programme has been hampered by a slow start and supply snarls, and less than a quarter are fully vaccinated.

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Suga intended to contain the virus in the country before the beginning of the Games, as opposed to what's happening right now. A surge in the coronavirus infections led to another state of emergency being announced in Tokyo. Owing to this, Olympics organisers banned all spectators from attending any ceremonies.

Just on Monday, Tokyo reported 1,429 new COVID-19 cases, almost twice as much as what was reported last Monday.

So far, Japan has won six gold medals including in judo by Uta Abe and her brother Hifumi.

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Yuto Horigome won the men's street skateboarding on Sunday, the first Olympic gold medal for the sport. Further success came from 13-year-old Momiji Nishiya, who won gold in the women's street skateboarding on Monday to become Japan's youngest-ever gold medal winner.

Nishiya's win along with a bronze for compatriot Funa Nakayama, 16, caused Twitter to light up with congratulations.

Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services, said the opening ceremony was watched by more than 70 million people in Japan, making it the most watched event in the last decade.

Organisers were keeping a wary eye on tropical storm Nepartak, which was heading toward Japan's east coast and forecast to pass to the north of Tokyo.

They said there was currently no plan to reschedule further events. Tuesday's rowing programme was disrupted, with races rescheduled for later in the week. Monday's rowing events were moved to Sunday in anticipation of the storm.

(With inputs from agencies)