Man Arrested for Distributing Anti-Olympics Flyers From Train Amid Criticism of Tokyo Games

A man has been arrested in Japan for distributing flyers criticizing the decision to go ahead with the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, despite the nation's ongoing struggles with COVID-19.

Yuji Usui, 59, of Nagoya, reportedly tossed the flyers from the window of a train in Tokyo on Friday, the Japan Times reported. He was arrested by a police officer who happened to be on the same train.

He reportedly admitted to tossing the flyers and was booked on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business.

Tokyo police stated that similar flyers had been found near train stations throughout the city recently. Investigations are now underway to determine if Usui was responsible for distributing those flyers as well, or if they were just similar incidents.

The Tokyo Summer Olympics made the unprecedented decision to delay from 2020 to 2021, due to the initial rise of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, the decision to go ahead with the Games this year has drawn scrutiny and backlash from the Japanese public, as the country is still struggling with rising case numbers. The Japan Times reported that the number of daily new cases for Tokyo hit 1,979 on Thursday, the highest seen in six months.

Japanese citizens have not only been protesting based on health and safety concerns, but also financial ones. The Olympic Games are notoriously expensive for any host nation, and many in Japan feel that this money should be used to fund public health institutions and to help fight the pandemic.

The opening ceremony on Friday drew hundreds of protesters to the National Stadium and Harujuku Station. Chants of "Go to hell, Olympics" and "Go to hell, [International Olympic Committee]" were heard, according to The Washington Post. Signs were seen that read "IOC is greedy like a devil," "Olympians are selfish like a child," "Tokyo Olympics are shame of the world," and "Refuse the Olympic Games!"

"Olympic protesters have shut down one of the busiest roads in Tokyo, in Harajuku," Lee said in a tweet. "Police are clearing the road for them and yelling into megaphones asking passersby to make way for protesters."

The opening ceremony was performed to a mostly empty stadium with about 1,000 VIPs in attendance.

At least 106 athletes and other figures affiliated with Games have tested positive for COVID-19 so far.

The Summer Olympics will next be hosted in Paris in 2024. The Tokyo Olympics will be immediately followed by the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.