In just a few weeks, the long awaited Tokyo Olympics will take place on July 23rd after it was postponed last summer because of the global pandemic.

  While it usually is met with much-needed hype and anticipation from viewers from all over the world, the upcoming Olympic games face some drama as Japan still faces COVID-19 issues within the country. Many of its citizens actually haven’t been vaccinated which makes handling the virus an issue especially with a sporting event of this magnitude.

  In response, Japan recently announced that they would not allow fans to attend any of the Olympic events and venues, declaring a state of emergency in relation to these COVID-19 complications. Even if it was expected prior to the announcement, the news of a fan-less games leaves some disappointment for many of the competitors and viewers.

  Overall, the Tokyo Olympics could be a possibly underwhelming experience that can result in many disappointing implications for the IOC(International Olympic Committee) and Japan, both politically and economically.

  Considering the prestige of the Olympic Games and the likelihood of no fans in attendance, the atmosphere and mood will be discomforting for athletes who would want to see a good crowd to witness them compete in their respective competitions.

  In addition, viewers watching from home will probably be let down and not enjoy the fan-less events like they usually would when you see people in the stands witnessing athletes passionately aim for gold medals.

  Another potential impact is the economic losses that Japan will and has already endured. Even the money that can be made will most likely not compensate the absence of fans who would pour the money into the sporting venues and surrounding businesses, like hotels and restaurants. 

  Many of the eight facilities that they built for this occasion that cost around $3 billion could also be wasted even if it's still being used. After the games, some of the facilities might not be used in the future which could lead to negative effects to Japan's economy in the future. 

  The upcoming Olympics doesn’t invoke optimism as previous games had and it will be hard to know how things will exactly turn out in the next few weeks. People should still enjoy and witness the biggest international sporting event taking place, but it seems robbed of the crucial ambiance that makes it special to watch.