一日も早く平和な日常が戻りますように 6.May.2021
新緑の美しい季節になりました。３度目の緊急事態宣言の中、私達は変わらず元気に過ごしています。去年の２月に社員の皆に配った注意書きを今もきちんと励行しPCR検査も毎週各フロアから一人ずつ順に検査もして幸い今のところ一人の感染者も出していません。とは言うもののPCR検査の陰性は受けた時点の話で、翌日陽性と言うこともあり得ますから安心は出来ません。古来真面目さ、勤勉さ、そして潔さは日本人の特質とされて来ました。そんな中、CNN、BBC、そして欧米や世界のニュースの中で東京オリンピックはスーパースプレッダーのイベントになるだろうとか、変異種の見本市になるのでは？等の声が出て、選手の中でも参加を辞退する人達も出始めています。にも関わらず政府は７月２３日開催に向けて何が何でもという姿勢で突き進んでいます。そもそもオリンピックは「スポーツを通して平和な世界の実現に貢献すること、世界平和の維持と確立に寄与することを目的としているはずです。もはや延期は出来ませんから潔くこの状況を認めて世界に中止を伝える時ではないでしょうか？７月２３日には開会式と閉会式を同時に行い２０２４年のパリ迄聖火をお預かりすると言うことと、COVID-19 で亡くなった世界の方々に黙祷を捧げ、多くの医療従事者を始めアスリートの皆さんや関わっている全ての方々に感謝をするセレモニーにして欲しいと思います。
経済的な損失はいずれ取り返す事も出来ますが、このような事態で世界各国、そして何より国民からの信頼を失う損失の方が大きいのではありませんか？
１日も早く平和な日常が戻って来る事を祈るばかりです。
May the citizens of the world welcome safe and peaceful lives soon
The scenery around Gimel is full of greenery, the sign of a beautiful early summer. Amidst waves of Covid-19, we have been blessed with no one infected among our staff primarily due to a rather strict regimen which requires everyone to follow in terms of personal hygienic care and periodical PCR tests.
In view of the current Covid situation here in Japan, many international media outlets including CNN, BBC and others have begun to offer their opinions regarding the Tokyo Olympic Games scheduled for July 23 through mid-August. Many of them predict that the Games might become a super spreader event and possibly will produce new and complicated variants of the virus. Some athletes are reported to have decided not to participate in the Games. However, the government of Japan still maintains that it is fully committed to proceed with the Games as scheduled.
The ultimate objectives of the Olympic Games, as I understand, are to contribute to the establishment and maintenance of world peace and any further postponement of the Games is out of the question.
Therefore, I would like to offer my idea regarding the Games. First, we should promptly decide to cancel the Tokyo Games and announce to the world to that effect and to proclaim that the Olympic Torch will be kept here until such time it should be passed onto Paris, France. Secondly, we should hold a combined ceremony of opening and closing the Games on July 23. The ceremony has multiple purposes, the first of which is to offer prayers to those who became victims of the Covid-19, and to offer condolences to their families and friends. Furthermore, the ceremony should be an opportunity to extend our appreciation to those people in medical and related fields who are engaged in treating those who fell ill and those fighting the virus day in and day out, and finally to the athletes who have dedicated their lives to the cause of promoting world peace through sports.
Economic loss due to the cancellation of the Games will be recouped in due course. However, what our government might lose in terms of trust and confidence given by the whole world, let alone by the Japanese nationals, would be far more serious and harder to regain.
May the citizens of the world welcome safe and peaceful lives soon.
Kaoru Kay Akihara
