Dystopian or distraction? Wary Tokyo welcomes the world
lmost every Olympic Games in the modern era has followed a story arc so precise it could have been matching a metronome. Joy when a bid succeeds. Years of fears – over spiralling costs, mass apathy, viruses or terrorism. But then, as the torchbearer climbs the steps at the end of the opening ceremony, there is usually a striking metamorphosis. Suddenly the negativity is softened or suppressed. The action takes over.
