With the 2020 Olympics in Japan increasingly doubtful due to fears over the continued global spread of the coronavirus, hundreds of thousands of fans are learning the money they spent on tickets for the summer showcase might be a lost cause.
Ticket refunds are considered unlikely, according to Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, with terms and conditions giving organizers an avenue to keep sales revenue. There is a fine-print stipulation that a “public health emergency” does not leave the organizing committee liable for covering more than 5 million purchased tickets. This also applies to the 2020 Paralympics, which have reportedly sold 1.7 million tickets.
In all, ticket revenues have reached about 90 billion yen, or $83 million.