But enthusiasm gave way to disappointment due to the pandemic and severe restrictions imposed on the event, which, according to the organizers’ decision, will not be able to receive foreign audiences.
In addition, the goal of showing the world ultra-thin (0.01 mm) condoms by distributing them to Olympic athletes also failed.
At all Olympic Games since the 1988 Seoul Games, condoms have been offered to participating athletes to help fight sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS.
While Tokyo 2020 organizers still plan to distribute 160,000 condoms to athletes, strict rules on distancing from coronavirus will be a passion killer.
– Condoms? Right after Tokyo –
“I cannot understand” why this free condom distribution will continue in a still difficult health situation, “Japanese climber Ken Noguchi tweeted.
“The condoms distributed are not intended for use in the Olympic Village, but for the athletes to take them back to their home countries after the end of the competition,” AFP explained when organizing the Games.
According to the Japan Industry Association of the Industry, ultra-thin prophylaxis made from polyurethane, a Japanese innovation, will be phased out in favor of traditional latex condoms.
“When I heard about this requirement (for latex), I thought, ‘What? This cannot be true, ”an industry source told AFP. “We really hoped we could offer ultra-thin products,” adds another source.
A few years ago, Japan’s largest condom manufacturer, Sagami Rubber Industries, expanded its manufacturing capacity and opened a factory in Malaysia to meet expected growth in demand during and after the Games.
– Shops without tourists –
Before the pandemic, Condomania condom shops in the Harajuku and Shibuya metropolitan areas were popular with foreign tourists.
But that clientele “all but disappeared” with the closing of Japanese borders to foreign visitors more than a year ago, Negishi told AFP.
Condomania condoms were created as souvenirs with traditional motifs such as the Great Wave off Hokusai and Mount Fuji, but “nothing else is for sale,” lamented one merchant.
Its activities were also weakened by the state of emergency imposed by the health crisis. “Now we live thanks to our regular customers in the neighborhood,” added Negishi.
Thus, Japanese condom manufacturers will remain dependent on their domestic market.
