Tokyo Olympics to be held without overseas fans due to pandemic

The decision was made during an online five-party meeting with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Tokyo's city government and the Japanese government, Hashimoto told a news conference.

IOC president Thomas Bach and IPC chief Andrew Parsons respected Tokyo's decision when considering the safety of participants of the Games and Japanese people, she said.

The Tokyo Games were postponed from last year due to the pandemic and are due to open on July 23. The torch relay is to start on March 25 in Fukushima amid a strict hygiene protocol.