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Survey: 52% Hope Japan Will Host Olympics Again;92% Concerned About Social Media Slander Against Athletes

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Japanese athletes enter the venue of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

10:00 JST, May 26, 2025

Many people are highly aware of social media’s negative impact on sports, a recent nationwide poll by The Yomiuri Shimbun has found, with 92% of respondents saying they think online slander against athletes, sports teams and athletic organizations on social media is a serious problem.

The survey was conducted in March and April by mail.

Asked if they want the Olympics and Paralympics to be held in Japan in the future, 52% said they do, including those who “somewhat” do, the same rate as the previous survey in 2024. Forty-seven percent said they do not want the events to be held in Japan, including those who “somewhat” do not, up 1 percentage point from the previous survey.

Asked if regulations against slander through social media are sufficient, 87% said they do not think so, while 10% said they do think so. About whether it is problematic that athletes’ privacy is violated through the internet and other media, 91% said they think so, while 8% said they do not think so.

Once a person is slandered on the internet and his or her private matters are revealed, recovery is very difficult. The Yomiuri Shimbun and major IT company LY Corp. are continuing efforts to respect privacy in articles published online.

The survey also asked about the Japan Games, formerly known as the National Sports Festival. As its venues basically change every year, the expense has become a big burden for many host municipalities. The Japan Sports Association’s expert committee compiled a reform plan, such as having multiple prefectures jointly host the Japan Games and designating some municipalities as permanent venues for specific sports. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents said they support the reform plan, while 9% said they are against it.

Asked what they expect from the reform, 48% cited a decrease in expenses for local municipalities, 38% said they hope existing athletic facilities will be fully used and 36% cited efforts to increase revenues by finding sponsors to give financial support. These answers show that people’s concern for economic burdens on municipalities is strong.

The survey was conducted on 3,000 eligible voters nationwide from March 24 to April 30, and 2,068 respondents, or 69%, gave valid responses.