But the closer the Games get, the more anxious he’s becoming about the risk of catching Covid-19.
Japan is fighting a fourth wave of Covid-19 and, though the virus isn’t spreading as quickly as it was in May, around 2,000 new cases are being reported each day.
Taro Kono, Japan’s vaccine minister, said Tuesday 800,000 doses are being administered daily, and the country should reach 1 million doses per day by the end of June.
Games organizers plan to vaccinate 18,000 Olympic workers, including referees, staff, doping testers, and some volunteers.
Of the 80,000 people who signed up to help at the Games, at least 10,000 have quit, mostly due to the pandemic.
Volunteers say they’ve been given little protection against Covid-19 beyond cloth masks, hand sanitizer and pamphlets instructing them to keep others at a safe 2-meter distance.
An army of enthusiastic volunteers has been key to the success of recent Olympic Games, helping to operate venues and assist spectators and athletes.
But other volunteers are more sanguine, including Philbert Ono, a travel writer and photographer in Tokyo.
Norihiko Tsuzuki, a graduate student in Japan, said he’s still excited to work as an Olympic volunteer, despite the mounting challenges leading up to the Games.
Organizers insist the Olympics can be held in a safe bubble: athletes will be regularly tested, contact traced, and socially distanced.
“Even without spectators, it’s not a bubble.
Warnings from Japan’s medical community continue to grow.
The rollout began in February with people aged 65 and over, but so far only around a third of all senior citizens have been vaccinated.