[fiblye]

It’s also very possible that the government isn’t looking into the cause of death and just sweeping it under the rug. Nearly every mention of the virus’s spread here is followed about “now what’s the effect on the olympics? What will we do without the olympics?” Ever since the last Olympics, they’ve been the main political and economic discussion topic of the whole country. TV has been talking nonstop about how this is the time Japan will finally be a world leader again, the economy is going to rise once more, English standards will be raised so all the kids can “LET’S! English with the people of the foreign country!”, every TV ad is somehow connected to the Olympics and Japan’s bright future and basically everything will be better. I can’t even pump gas without Olympics ads being played through the pump.

Imagine Abe having to announce on TV that nearly half a decade of national identity is meaningless, down the drain, over, done for, and they’re out of a shitload of cash with nothing to show.

[claudeganon]

People in the west also don’t seem to understand that Japanese news media is closer to that in China than here. Abe is notorious for silencing his critics, having them fired or moved if they question the government line. Press freedom has entirely collapsed from where it was in Japan not even a decade ago.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/13/japan-accused-...

This is all to say, even if you had this spike in deaths, I’m skeptical it would be reported until it was too late.

[chrisco255]

Why can't they just delay the Olympics one year?

[fiblye]

That’s not Japan’s decision to make. The Olympics®︎ tells the country they’re screwed, thanks for the cash, apply for the next 2020+4n Olympics.

[aquadrop]

Covid19 is already causing a bump in overall death stats in Italy. You will definitely see it in case of wide spread in a country, only way to hide it is not report deaths at all. Do you think Japan will do that?

[claudeganon]

Yes, I believe they will. Go read about all the lies and ass-covering around Fukushima. Or how Japan refused to test responders to the cruise ship outbreak because if they were found positive, there wouldn’t be enough responders.