Two thoughts on 2020 Tokyo Olympics:
1. The real agenda is (still) to fix the nuclear disaster
I honestly thought Tokyo never had a chance because of the radiation that is getting out of control from a nearby idilic city called Fukushima.
But whatever was going on inside IOC member’s heads, the decision was made and the Japanese government and TEPCO will be finally forced to “fix” whatever is going on in Fukushima. Radiation hits everybody equally on a physical level, but looks like the international society has a far less mental tolerance compared to the people in Tokyo. That is one good news.
One big conspiracy theory popped in my head: what if the IOC or somebody behind decided to solve the radiation problem by giving Japan an international kick in the butt? Seeing that Japan is never going to solve the issue in his own hands, one realistic plan is to invite MANY foreigners over, most of them health-sensitive athletes, so everybody’s eyes will be watching over Japan for at least 7 years from now. And the humongous double-cost of cleanup and hosting will be on Japan’s shoulders.
Ending the Fukushima disaster is one rare thing that pro-nuclear lobbies and anti-nuclear activists agree upon. The former wants it to go away to sell more plants, and the latter wants the term “nuclear” to become “No, clear.” Well, so much for my conspiracy theory.
2. Reality is catching up with fictions
The iconic 80s anime film Akira was based on the year 2019, one year before the fictional Tokyo would be hosting their second Olympics. That is a weird coincidence.
I am remembering another case of an 80s sci-fi movie predicting how reality would catch up later.
In case of Blade Runner, it was simulating a future L.A. Chinatown covered in neon signs and acid rain (Akira took hints from this movie too). Look at the trailer and doesn’t it look eerily similar to…present day Asia?
One of the reasons I decided to live in Taipei was because it basically was an extension of the set of Blade Runner. I was no Harrison Ford but I simply loved strolling around the everlasting flashy billboards and dark clouds. (I still do, although I have found other goodies in Taiwan.)
In case of Akira, the future Tokyo will become a jungle of monstrous buildings and dystopian authorities, which will be eventually demolished by a teenager’s psychic rage against the society. It was the dream every frustrated Japanese teenager had during 1980s, when Japanese economic muscle had been flexing all over the world.
During the era, the powerless ones (the young and the old) secretly desired to destroy everything that made up the “prosperous and harmonious society” propaganda. That was why Akira resonated with so many people’s hearts, including mine.
Now that the economic lies have been exposed by the great bubble and Tokyo has been on the defensive side since the beginning of the new century, people want Tokyo to be strong again. I just hope they won’t mislead.