Tokyo Olympics venues in Fukushima and Sapporo were added to the list that will not have spectators due to a recent rise in coronavirus cases in the country and a difficulty in preventing travel from Tokyo.
Fukushima will host the first Olympic competition on July 21 with softball games. Choosing Fukushima, 150 miles north of Tokyo, marked a symbol of recovery.
A March 2011 earthquake and tsunami triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, marking the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. More than 18,000 people died.
Fukushima hosts competition for both baseball and softball, sports on the Olympic program for the first time since 2008.