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ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION LIKELY TO BE BANNED IN PUBLIC AREAS IN TOKYO OLYMPIC VILLAGE

By Siulan Law Mathews DipWSET

14-6-2021



Credit: Kyle Dias/Unsplash

Only six weeks before the Tokyo Olympics opens, it’s still unsure if alcohol will be allowed in the Olympic Village which will house 11,000 Olympic athletes and 4,400 Paralympians, according to Japanese local media.

The Wine Chronicle reported earlier that the organiser of the Tokyo Olympics is still to decide whether domestic audience will be allowed in the Olympic venues.

This indecision has put Japanese drinks giant Asahi, who has won exclusive rights to sell alcohol and wines inside the venues, in a very unfavourable situation.

Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the Tokyo organising committee, told Japanese media last Wednesday: “We have not yet clearly decided on the (alcohol) policy,” Muto said. "We hope to do so by the end of this month.”

He added that it might be difficult to ban alcohol from the athletes' private rooms in the village, but public areas in the village might be a different matter.

“In the case that they were to drink inside their own rooms — this is equivalent to cases where we are drinking in our own home." Muto told Japanese media after an online meeting with the International Olympic Committee executive board.

“Can we prohibit that? That’s not conceivable," Muto added. “It would be very difficult to do so.” But he said it might be banned from dining areas and other public areas in the village.

Much of Japan is still under a state of emergency which is scheduled to end on 20 June. Bars and restaurants are currently closing early and have to ban alcohol sales.

The Olympic Village has traditionally been a fun place to be, housing thousands of young athletes and staff ready to party and share a few beers and bubbly toasts.

But not at the Tokyo Olympics, which are to open in just over six weeks amid a pandemic. These are going to be the “no cheers" Olympics with testing and vaccinations taking priority over fun and games.

(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)

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