Akita Gov. Norihisa Satake is seen speaking during a news conference at the Akita Prefectural Government office in the city of Akita on Aug. 23, 2021. (Mainichi/Hiroshi Takano)

       AKITA -- The governor of Akita Prefecture in northeast Japan criticized the Tokyo Paralympics' school engagement program, in which students from selected elementary, junior high and senior high schools will attend venues to watch the events, saying that the program is being used to justify holding the Games amid the pandemic.

       The Tokyo Paralympics will begin on Aug. 24, and as a general rule there will be no spectators at the venues. Akita Gov. Norihisa Satake claimed at a regular news conference on Aug. 23 that the school engagement program "justifies holding the Paralympics amid this situation (with surging infections)," adding, "It feels like children are being used as a pretext for that."

       Satake followed up by saying, "I doubt it's necessary to try so hard to carry out the program. Watching the events on TV is enough to feel moved."

       (Japanese original by Hiroshi Takano, Akita Bureau)

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