Top Japanese CEO Says Hosting the Olympics Amounts to a ‘Suicide Mission’

The CEO of Japan’s top e-commerce company said Friday that it would be a “suicide mission” for the country to host the Olympic Games this summer.

The comments by Rakuten (RKUNF) CEO Hiroshi Mikitani in an exclusive interview with CNN Business are among the strongest yet from corporate leaders worried about holding the event as the country remains gripped by the coronavirus pandemic.

In the interview, Mikitani said that he had been trying to convince the government to cancel the Tokyo games, which are scheduled to begin on July 23. He also gave the Japanese government a score of “two out of 10” for its handling of the pandemic. Other prominent Japanese executives have voiced their worries over this year’s Olympics, but none has been as critical as Mikitani.

“It’s dangerous to host the big international event from all over the world. So, the risk is too big,” Mikitani told CNN Business. “The upside is not that great, and we see many countries are still struggling so much, including India and Brazil. And it’s not time to celebrate yet,” he added.

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