Read Full Transcript EXPAND
Reporter: IT'S SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF PREPARATION, MORE THAN $15 BILLION SPENT ON THIS, THESE GAMES ARE FINALLY HERE, EVEN WITH QUESTIONS LEADING UP TO THE FINAL MOMENTS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT JAPAN COULD ACTUALLY PULL THIS OFF.
HERE ON THE GROUND, THERE'S STILL MAJOR OPPOSITION TO THE OLYMPICS.
IN FACT, THERE WERE PROTESTORS CHANTING THROUGHOUT THE OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONY FOR THE GAMES TO BE CANCELED AND I'VE BEEN ATTENDING THESE ANTI-OLYMPIC PROTESTS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW AND THEY HAVE A STRONG FEELING THAT THESE GAMES ARE BEING HELD AT THE EXPENSE OF PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND THEIR LIVES.
MANY PEOPLE HERE ARE FRUSTRATED THAT THE GAMES ARE BEING HELD AS THEIR LIVES ARE BEING RESTRICTED WITH TOKYO UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY, COVID-19 CASES SURGING IN THE HOST CITY AND 20% OF THE POPULATION FULLY VACCINATED.
BUT I SPOKE TO SEVERAL BYSTANDERS WHO WERE OBSERVING EVERYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING AROUND THEM AND THEY HAD SOME MIXED FEELINGS.
THEY NEED TO CONTROL THE CORONA BETTER FIRST AND THINK ABOUT IT.
I HAD 20 TICKETS TO THE GAME.
ALL OF MY SISTERS WERE SUPPOSED TO COME TO JAPAN TO EXPERIENCE IT WITH ME, AND IT'S BEEN BITTERSWEET THAT I CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE.
UP UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GO TO THE GAMES AND THEY CANCELED ALL OF IT.
I'M TRYING TO GET AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE AS I CAN, BECAUSE I LOVE THE OLYMPICS.
YES, WE'RE WORRIED, BUT I THINK IT'S ONCE IN A LIFETIME.
SO WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT IT.
Reporter: THESE GAMES ARE NOT AT ALL WHAT JAPAN HAD HOPED FOR.
THEY WANTED THE ECONOMIC BOOST FROM TOURISTS, THEY WANTED TO HAVE SPECTATORS AND FANS AND SHOW THE COUNTRY'S CULTURE AND HOSPITALITY TO PEOPLE FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
IT HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR 2020, RIGHT, AND NOW HERE WE ARE, A YEAR LATER AND STILL SO MUCH CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THESE GAMES.
I WAS WATCHING YOU EARLIER ON OUR AIR AND IT IS SURREAL TO SEE THAT STADIUM WHICH CAN HOLD A NEARLY 80,000 PEOPLE HOSTS MAYBE 900 OR SO.
AND THE CEREMONY WAS BEAUTIFUL.
1,800 DRONES MADE UP A GLOBE WAS JUST QUITE A MARVELOUS PRESENTATION, BUT IT DOES LOOK DIFFERENT AND IT MUST FEEL THAT WAY FOR ATHLETES TOO.
Reporter: EXACTLY.
AND FOR ATHLETES, IT'S AN INCREDIBLY STRESSFUL TIME.
OF COURSE, EXCITED TO FINALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO COMPETE, MANY OF THESE ATHLETES SAYING THEY'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY, BUT ALSO GROWING STORIES OF HEARTBREAK TOO.
AT LEAST 20 ATHLETES ARE NOT ABLE TO COMPETE BECAUSE OF COVID-19.
DEVASTATING STORIES OF ATHLETES SAYING THEY MISSED THEIR ONE CHANCE.
ONE SAYING HER CAREER IS OVER.
AFTER ONE MISTAKE, SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE SHE GOT COVID, NOW OUT OF THE GAMES.
BUT AS YOU SAY THIS OPENING CEREMONY ABSOLUTELY SURREAL.