Anti-Olympics protestors hold signs during a rally near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government complex where the final Olympic torch relay event took place, in Tokyo on July 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Kantaro Komiya)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Cities hosting the Summer Olympics are usually abuzz with anticipation in the buildup to what is the world's largest sporting extravaganza, with excitement reaching a crescendo as the curtain rises.

       But on a hot and sunny Friday morning in Tokyo, as the games prepared to officially kick off in an opening ceremony in the evening, enthusiasm was less in evidence than sadness and regret that competitions will be held largely behind closed doors with no spectators permitted as Tokyo battles a renewed surge of coronavirus infections.

       While some 11,000 athletes from around the world have converged on Japan's capital, the games have effectively become a TV-only event with the city under its fourth state of emergency over the virus.

       And with opinion polls continuing to show high levels of public unease over hosting the games during a pandemic, some on the streets of the capital said the event should not be taking place at all.

       Yoyogi park in central Tokyo was originally scheduled to host free live screenings of games competitions but is now being used as a mass COVID-19 vaccination site.

       Walking among the many morning joggers and cyclists, Tetsuya Imai was on his way to get inoculated at the site.

       "I wish I could have watched the games here," the 52-year-old said wistfully. He now plans to watch the games on TV at home with his family.

       Living near the athletes' village on the other side of town in Tokyo's Harumi waterfront district, he says he is well aware of the level of opposition to the games given the frequent protests near the facility.

       "I'm not so excited because there isn't an atmosphere of fun among the public," he said. "I hear protesters chanting outside every morning at home. Sadly, people are so divided over the Olympics."

       Near Tokyo Stadium in Chofu in western Tokyo, which will host competitions in several events, including soccer, some residents were taking photos in front of the entrance.

       "I came here just to see what the atmosphere is like," said Machiko Oyama, a Chofu resident. "If you consider the feelings of participating athletes, I think it was good that they decided to hold the games, even without spectators. Quite frankly, however, I wanted to watch the games live at the stadium."

       The stadium hosted some of the games of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and the 47-year-old recalled the lively sight of the large numbers of foreign fans coming to the area.

       The somber atmosphere now, she said, may leave the participating athletes from abroad "feeling somewhat unsatisfied."

       The Japanese public's support for the games nosedived after the coronavirus pandemic began. According to a nationwide survey conducted by Kyodo News earlier in July, 87.0 percent of respondents said they were concerned about a potential spike in infections as a result of Tokyo hosting the games this summer.

       At Musashinomori Park, adjacent to Tokyo Stadium, where the cycling road race will start, some parts of the park will be off-limits during the Olympics.

       "I walk around here every day," said Tomohisa Yamamoto, 78, who lives in Chofu. "But how come we have to host the Olympics amid this global coronavirus pandemic? Are they so valuable and important?"

       In 1964, when the previous Olympics in Tokyo were held, Yamamoto was a college student and played in a band at the athletes' village.

       When Tokyo was awarded the current games in 2013, "the memories from before came back to me, and I believed that we would have a great time again. But the situation has totally changed."

       Still, he says he is rooting for the athletes themselves.

       "Seeing the International Olympic Committee forcing the games through, I cannot help feeling aversion, but athletes are not to blame."

       In Komazawa Olympic Park, which hosted several events during the 1964 Olympics, Kensuke Noro, 28, who was in the park for a jog, said he was not keen on the games being held but planned to follow the competitions online, particularly soccer and basketball.

       "Given (the drama) of whether or not the games were going to be held, and the scandals involving the Olympic organizing committee, I think the enthusiasm has waned," Noro, a trading firm employee, said, adding that he would still be cheering for the athletes.

       On Thursday, the show director of the opening ceremony was dismissed for a past joke making light of the Holocaust. His removal came not long after the composer of the ceremony's music stepped down after admitting to past instances of bullying classmates with disabilities and follows a string of earlier resignations plaguing the games' organizers.

       But even if the pandemic and scandals have dampened the mood around the Olympics, Noro said he hopes the performance of Japanese Olympic athletes will "inspire" the country.

       Meanwhile, dozens of people surrounded by police officers gathered in front of the Tokyo metropolitan government office around noon. Protesters chanted "Extinguish the Olympic torch" and held banners such as "No Olympics" and "Global crime against Japan."

       Tokyo has been wrestling with COVID-19 infection numbers at their highest in six months. The 17-day games will conclude on Aug. 8.

       One of the protesters, Kenichi Nakamura, said "Fukushima is still in the progress of recovery and now we are facing this global health crisis." The 39-year-old said, "We cannot host the Olympics under such circumstances."

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