North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned again that the North could preemptively use its nuclear weapons if threatened.

His latest comments came as he praised his top army officials for a massive military parade in Pyongyang this week. State media reported on Saturday that Kim expressed "firm will" to continue developing his nuclear-armed military so that it could "preemptively and thoroughly contain and frustrate all dangerous attempts and threatening moves, including ever-escalating nuclear threats from hostile forces, if necessary."

The parade on Monday came after a spate of missile tests that underscored Kim's willingness to force the United States to accept the North as a nuclear power and remove crippling economic sanctions.

Japan’s capital has announced it will start recognizing same-sex partnerships to ease the burdens faced by residents in their daily lives, but the unions will not be considered legal marriages.

Support for sexual diversity has grown slowly in Japan, but legal protections are still lacking for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Japan does not legally recognize same-sex marriages, and LGBTQ people often face discrimination at school, work and at home, causing many to hide their sexual identities.

The Tokyo government said applicants for a partnership certificate will be limited to adult residents of the capital but will include foreign nationals.

Tokyo’s metropolitan government will begin accepting registrations in October.

The Shibuya district in Tokyo became the first Japanese municipality to issue partnership certificates in 2015.

Now, about 12% of the country's municipalities have taken similar steps.

On Aug. 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima — becoming the only country to ever use nuclear weapons during wartime.Watch the video above to learn morePresident Harry S. Truman made the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan in hopes that it would speed up the end of World War II, and also as retaliation for their attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, which killed more than 2,400 Americans."The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor. They have been repaid manyfold. And the end is not yet," Truman wrote in a statement announcing the nuclear attack.Video below: President Truman announces atomic bomb dropped on HiroshimaThe a-bomb blast, equivalent to the power of 15,000 tons of TNT, instantly killed 80,000 people and injured another 35,000. At least 60,000 more died in the years to follow from radiation poisoning they suffered as a result. The U.S. began working on developing the atomic bomb in 1940 after being made aware that Nazi Germany was researching how to create nuclear weapons. The U.S. launched its first successful a-bomb test in the desert in New Mexico in July of 1945 — and although Germany had already been defeated, the war was still raging against Japan.Three days after the bombing of Hiroshima, on Aug. 9, 1945, the U.S. unleashed another atomic bomb on Japan on the city of Nagasaki — instantly killing nearly 40,000 more people.Less than a week later, Japan announced its surrender on Aug. 14, 1945. Japan formally surrendered in writing on Sept. 2, 1945, officially ending World War II.

SEOUL, South Korea —

Related video above: Alarms blare in Japan after NKorea missile tests

North Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile that landed near Japanese territorial waters Friday, its neighbors said, the second such major weapons test this month that shows its determination to perfect weapons systems targeting the U.S. mainland.

The launch was the latest in a barrage of weapons tests that North Korea has conducted in recent months in response to what it calls U.S. hostility. Some experts say the North is able to perform such a spree of weapons tests partly because China and Russia have opposed U.S. moves to toughen sanctions on North Korea.

The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the suspected ICBM launch from North Korea's capital region at 10:15 a.m. and the weapon flew toward the North's eastern coast across the country. The statement said South Korea's military bolstered its surveillance of North Korea and maintains readiness in close coordination with the United States.

The Japanese Defense Ministry also initially identified the weapon as an ICBM-class ballistic missile. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, visiting Bangkok to attend a regional summit, told reporters it was believed to have landed at sea inside Japan's exclusive economic zone west of Hokkaido, Japan's main northern island.

If confirmed, it would be North Korea’s first ICBM launch in about two weeks. Experts said an ICBM launched by North Korea on Nov. 3 failed to fly its intended flight and fell into the ocean after a stage separation.

The Nov. 3 test was believed to have involved a developmental ICBM called Hwasong-17. North Korea has two other types of ICBM — Hwasong-14 and Hwasong-15 — and their test-launches in 2017 proved they could potentially reach parts of the U.S. homeland.

The Hwasong-17 has a longer potential range than the others and its huge size suggests it’s designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads to defeat missile defense systems. Some experts say the Nov. 3 test showed some technological progress in the development of the Hwasong-17, given that in its earlier test in March, the missile exploded soon after liftoff.

“North Korea has been repeatedly firing missiles this year at an unprecedented frequency and is significantly escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamad told reporters.

South Korea’s presidential office said it convened an emergency security meeting to discuss the North Korean launch.

North Korea had halted weapons launches for about a week before it fired a short-range ballistic missile on Thursday.

Before Thursday’s launch, the North’s foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, threatened to launch “fiercer” military responses to the U.S. bolstering its security commitment to its allies South Korea and Japan.

Choe was referring to President Joe Biden’s recent trilateral summit with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on the sidelines of a regional gathering in Cambodia. In their joint statement, the three leaders strongly condemned North Korea’s recent missile tests and agreed to work together to strengthen deterrence. Biden reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defend South Korea and Japan with a full range of capabilities, including its nuclear arms.

Choe didn’t say what steps North Korea could take but said that “the U.S. will be well aware that it is gambling, for which it will certainly regret.”

Pyongyang sees the U.S. military presence in the region as proof of its hostility toward North Korea. It has said its recent series of weapons launches were its response to what it called provocative military drills between the United States and South Korea.

There have been concerns that North Korea might conduct its first nuclear test in five years as its next major step toward bolstering its military capability against the United States and its allies.

North Korea has been under multiple rounds of U.N. sanctions over its previous nuclear and missile tests. But no fresh sanctions have been applied this year though it has conducted dozens of ballistic missile launches, which are banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions.

That's possible because China and Russia, two of the U.N. council's veto-wielding members, oppose new U.N. sanctions. Washington is locked in a strategic competition with Beijing and in a confrontation with Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Soccer powerhouses Belgium and Germany made early exits at the World Cup on Thursday, which many considered a wild day in group play.

Back-to-back early exits at the World Cup have Germany coach Hansi Flick wanting to go back to basics.

The four-time champions were again eliminated from the group stage four years after their embarrassing display as defending champions in Russia.

Something has to change, Flick said after a 4-2 victory over Costa Rica on Thursday that still wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the round of 16.

“I believe for the future of German football we need to do things differently in training,” said Flick, who took over as coach after last year’s European Championship. “For years we are talking about new goalkeepers and wingbacks, but Germany was always able to defend well. We need the basics.

“For the future, for the next 10 years, it is very important to focus on the new generation of players.”

It was only eight years ago that Germany won its fourth World Cup title, beating an Argentina team led by Lionel Messi in his prime in the final at the Maracana Stadium. With that victory, Germany became the only European team to win a World Cup in either North or South America.

In Qatar, it was an opening loss to Japan that set the stage for the disappointing finish this time. Germany was beaten 2-1 in that match last week, and followed it with a 1-1 draw against Spain.

That gave the Germans a chance in its last match at Al Bayt Stadium, and for a few minutes during the simultaneous final group matches on Thursday, it was enough. At halftime, for example, Germany was beating Costa Rica and Japan was losing to Spain — results that would have put the Germans into the round of 16.

It was Japan’s 2-1 victory over the Spaniards that essentially cost the Germans a chance to play at least one more match in Qatar.

Flick cited Spain as an example for his country to follow.

“Spain is very good in defense,” he said, even though the 2010 World Cup champions ultimately lost to Japan at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. “It focuses on training young players. They know the tactics well.”

It all started so well for Germany on Thursday with Serge Gnabry scoring a 10th-minute header and Spain taking an early lead against Japan.

Both matches were turned upside down in the second half.

Yeltsin Tejeda evened the score in the 58th minute and Juan Vargas scrambled another in the 70th, putting Costa Rica ahead 2-1 and all of a sudden on target to advance.

“There were a lot of individual mistakes and these are things that make me very angry,” Flick said.

But Germany substitute Kai Havertz made it 2-2 in the 73rd minute and then restored Germany’s lead in the 85th. Another substitute, Niclas Füllkrug, added the fourth.

Costa Rica had lost its opening game against Spain 7-0. The team then put on a much better display and beat Japan 1-0.

“We are not what we saw in our first game,” Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suarez said. “We had to go back to what made us qualify for the World Cup.”

Spain will take on Morocco, who took the top spot in Group F after defeating Canada 2-1, ESPN reported.

Belgium, ranked No. 2 in the world and finished third at the World Cup four years ago, was also eliminated from the world's biggest sporting event after a goalless tie against Croatia, who will play Japan in the round of 16, The Washington Post reported.

HISTORY MADE

The match was also notable because French referee Stéphanie Frappart became the first woman to officiate a men’s World Cup match.

RECORD SET

Manuel Neuer played in his 19th World Cup match to set a record for a goalkeeper — overtaking German great Sepp Maier and Brazil keeper Cláudio Taffarel.

GINTER’S WAIT

Matthias Ginter was participating in his third World Cup, but going into the match against Costa Rica he had yet to play a single minute at any of those tournaments. That all changed when he came on as a substitute in the 89th minute.

Russia's Defense Ministry says Moscow has test-fired anti-ship missiles in the Sea of Japan.The ministry said Tuesday that two boats launched a simulated missile attack on a mock enemy warship about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away. The ministry said the target was successfully hit by two Moskit cruise missiles.The Moskit, whose NATO reporting name is the SS-N-22 Sunburn, is a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile that has conventional and nuclear warhead capacity.It said the exercise took place in the Peter the Great Gulf in the Sea of Japan but did not give more precise coordinates. The gulf borders the Russian Pacific Fleet headquarters at Fokino and is about 700 kilometers (430 miles) from Japan's northern Hokkaido Island.Japan's Defense Ministry had no immediate response. The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Russian nuclear-capable Tu-95 flew over the Sea of Japan for several hours last week.

Cruising at a depth of over 27,000 feet just above the seabed, a young snailfish has become the deepest fish ever filmed by scientists during a probe into the abyss of the northern Pacific Ocean.

Scientists from the University of Western Australia and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology released footage of the snailfish on Sunday filmed last September by sea robots in deep trenches off Japan.

Along with filming the deepest snailfish, the scientists physically caught two other specimens at 8,022 meters and set another record for the deepest catch.

Previously, the deepest snailfish ever spotted was at 7,703 meters in 2008, while scientists had never been able to collect fish from anywhere below 8,000 meters.

"What is significant is that it shows how far a particular type of fish will descend in the ocean," said marine biologist Alan Jamieson, founder of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, who led the expedition.

Scientists are filming in the trenches off Japan as part of a 10-year study into the deepest fish populations in the world. Snailfish are members of the Liparidae family, and while most snailfish live in shallow water, others survive at some of the greatest depths ever recorded, Jamieson said.

During the two-month survey last year, three "landers" — automatic sea robots fitted with high-resolution cameras — were dropped into three trenches — the Japan, Izu-Ogasawara and Ryukyu trenches — at varying depths.

In the Izu-Ogasawara trench, footage showed the deepest snailfish hovering calmly alongside other crustaceans on the seabed.

Jamieson classified the fish as a juvenile and said younger deep-sea snailfish often stay as deep as possible to avoid being eaten by bigger predators that swim at shallower depths.

Another clip shot at between 7,500 and 8,200 meters in the same trench showed a colony of fish and crustaceans munching at bait tied to an undersea robot.

Images of the two captured snailfish — identified as Pseudoliparis belyaevi — provide a rare glimpse of the unique features that help the deep sea species survive the extreme environment.

They have tiny eyes, a translucent body, and their lack of swim bladder, which helps other fish float, works to their advantage, Jamieson said.

The professor said the Pacific Ocean is particularly conducive to vibrant activity due to its warm southern current, which encourages sea creatures to go deeper, while its abundant marine life provides a good source of food for bottom feeders.

Scientists would like to know more about creatures living at extreme depths, but the cost is the constraint, Jamieson said, adding that each lander alone costs them $200,000 to assemble and operate.

"The challenges are that technology has been expensive and scientists don't have a lot of money," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Japanese and South Korean counterparts were meeting Saturday in Hawaii to discuss the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea after Pyongyang began the year with a series of missile tests.

Blinken gathered in Honolulu with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong. Defense chiefs from the three countries last week said North Korea’s recent missile tests were destabilizing regional security.

Some experts say North Korea is using the weapon's tests to put pressure on President Joe Biden’s administration to resume long-stalled nuclear negotiations as the pandemic puts further strain on an economy already battered by decades of mismanagement and crippling U.S.-led sanctions.

Biden’s administration has offered North Korea open-ended talks but has shown no willingness to ease the sanctions without meaningful cuts to the country’s nuclear program.

The tests also have a technical component, allowing North Korea to hone its weapons arsenal. One of the missiles recently tested — the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile — is capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam. It was the longest-distance weapon the North has tested since 2017.

North Korea appears to be pausing its tests during the Winter Olympics in China, its most important ally and economic lifeline. But analysts believe North Korea will dramatically increase its weapons testing after the Olympics.

The recent tests have rattled Pyongyang's neighbors in South Korea and Japan. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who helped set up the historic talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019, said last month that the tests were a violation UN Security Council resolutions and urged the North to cease “actions that create tensions and pressure.”

The Security Council initially imposed sanctions on North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006. It made them tougher in response to further nuclear tests and the country’s increasingly sophisticated nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

China and Russia, citing the North's economic difficulties, have called for lifting sanctions like those banning seafood exports and prohibitions on its citizens working overseas and sending home their earnings.

Blinken arrived in Hawaii from Fiji, where he met with Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and other Pacific leaders to talk about regional issues, especially the existential risk posed by climate change. It was the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state to Fiji since 1985.

He started his Pacific tour in Australia, where he met his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan. The four nations form the “Quad,” a bloc of Indo-Pacific democracies that was created to counter China’s regional influence.

Hayashi and Chung held a separate bilateral meeting Saturday for about 40 minutes before seeing Blinken. Japan’s Foreign Ministry said they reaffirmed the importance of cooperating together and with the United States to respond to North Korea and to achieve regional stability.

The ministry said they also “frankly” exchanged views on ongoing disputes between the two countries, including wartime Korean laborers and sexual abuse of Korean women forced into sexual servitude by Japan’s imperial army.

Blinken also met separately with Chung. He met Hayashi earlier this week in Australia.

___

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

A new year brings with it a new season of anime. And with the comforting regularity of a pendulum that smacks a rock into the side of your head on every swing, isekai anime continue to dominate the seasonal output. Thankfully, in a medium that increasingly depends on tentpole series and safe, regurgitated schlock, there are a few standouts every season that manage to stay afloat.

Not included on this list is 'Demon Slayer' because if you love 'Demon Slayer' you're already watching it. I have already reviewed season one and discussed why I find it average and uninteresting. But, if it's your jam, then there's a new season in progress right now.

Here are the shows I’m watching this winter season:

My Dress-Up Darling

The strange name pretty much sums up the plot of this anime. A guy named Gojo who has an affinity for traditional Japanese dolls (and lives and works at a studio dedicated to them) befriends one of the most popular and beautiful girls in school after she learns he can sew. She asks him to help her craft the perfect cosplay of a video game character she loves. The shy, reserved, and kind of weird Gojo, having finally made his first friend in high school with the drop-dead gorgeous Marin, must now navigate awkward social situations and learn more about the intense and dedicated world of cosplay to bring Marin’s vision to life.
With gorgeous animation, likable protagonists, and some occasionally cute flirting, the anime explores traditional Japanese culture’s ability to evolve into the popular otaku culture of today. All the while it entertains the over-the-top flirtatiousness of Marin toward Gojo in a way that, while not realistic and mostly for fanboys, still gives the show a kind of wholesome innocence despite its lecherous moments. While the majority of male characters in series with similar situations are either total creeps or annoyingly innocent puritans, Gojo is multi-dimensional enough to be less a self-insert and more an actual character.

‘My Dress Up Darling’ is certainly not a universal recommendation but it is making the simple plot of a girl wanting to cosplay into a compelling romantic comedy.

Available on Crunchyroll and Funimation

Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2

Attack on Titan is wrapping up its incredible story with a final set of episodes focused on the war for Paradis. With fantastic animation, a great opening, and every episode ending on a nail-biting cliffhanger, Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2 is sure to leave fans on edge, waiting impatiently for the next episode every week.
You can check out my review of Part One here for a better idea of what to expect.

Available on Crunchyroll and Funimation

Sabikui Bisco

The stranger rides into town on a giant crab, bow slung over his shoulder, his arrows able to manifest giant mushrooms that infect whatever they pierce like a parasite. Pursued by the government and treated as a terrorist, this mushroom grower knows that his fungi are actually helping to purify the post-apocalyptic Japan he roams; while everyone else blames him and the mushrooms for a mysterious affliction known as "rusting" that is killing the population.
With steampunk airplanes that are actually slugs, rhinos that are equipped with rocket launchers, and a force of bunny mask wearing special agents; 'Sabikui Bisco' is the kind of utter weirdness that made me fall in love with anime decades ago. It feels like a show that would have released comfortably in the 90's or early 2000's and a breath of fresh air in an otherwise turgid season.

The hero, Bisco Akaboshi, is a manly-man action hero with a dedicated goal and a sense of humor. Facing down an opponent, he declares "What did I do, kill your family?" with the aplomb of an 80s action hero. It's a series that never stops moving, with plenty of action, comedy, and a world that's uniquely bizarre.

I'm not entirely sure where the series will take us or if it can maintain the forward momentum it managed in the first three episodes but it's well worth the time of any action fan.

Available on Crunchyroll

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean

Back in December I reviewed the first set of episodes

for 'Stone Ocean', a fantastic arc in the long-running Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure series. The first twelve episodes dropped on Netflix and it’s been assumed that every three months the streaming platform will offer up another twelve episodes. That means we can likely expect the second part of Stone Ocean to show up in March. Stone Ocean is quite possibly as good as the series has been since introducing stands in Part 3 and Jolyne Cujo one of the best main characters in the series. I gave that first drop of episodes a perfect score and I only expect the series to get more weird and intense. If you’ve not caught up already – I implore you to go give it a shot.

Available on Netflix

Lupin the III Part 6

Speaking of the sixth part, let’s talk about 'Lupin III'. The original anime series began in 1971 and the iconic character has been in multiple television series, movies, OVA’s, and more. In all that time Lupin and friends were in more movies than James Bond; but it was only with 2015's television revival of the series that we started seeing a lot more enthusiasm for the Lupin franchise, probably because of a younger audience getting acquainted with a series that is older than 'Gundam', 'Star Wars', or most anime fans’ parents.

This season’s central focus is a battle of wits between Lupin and Sherlock Holmes. The battle comes as Lupin becomes involved in a heist that has something to do with the mysterious organization known as Raven, a group of politicians and giants of industry who have pulled the strings of the British government since the end of World War 2.

While the central story is full of action, twists, and great characterization; it’s the one-shot episodes that really shine through. One particularly memorable episode has a rich guy with a recreation of the American transcontinental railroad in his backyard. The miniature train line, complete with tiny American landmarks, becomes the set for an action scene that’s straight out of an episode of 'The Avengers' (not the superheroes, the OG’s John Steed and Emma Peel).

And that’s what Lupin is all about and why the series has such an enduring legacy. The characters are a unique hodge-podge of weirdos and they allow the writers to do anything from a serious character study to a dorky nonsense heist. Much like 'The Avengers' or James Bond, Lupin can mold himself to any genre or tone and remain fresh and fun because of that. Part 6 further cements that as long as anime exists, Lupin will endure and outlive most of his contemporaries.

Available on HIDIVE

Ranking of Kings

It’s rare that I can speak to an anime being both easily accessible to anyone, inclusive and thoughtful in how it presents its content; all while managing a balance between deadly serious character drama and whimsical fantasy elements. ‘Ranking of Kings’ focuses on a young prince who is deaf and unable to speak so relies on reading lips and sign language to communicate. Because of his disability, the denizens of the kingdom and those surrounding him in the walls of the castle underestimate and bully him. Despite Prince Bojji being the dying kings choice to succeed him, political machinations lead to Bojji's mean little brother becoming prince. Prince Bojji must now fight for his life in a twisty-turny adventure perfect for any fan of 'Game of Thrones'.
Because of the childlike nature of the show I nearly skipped over it but I’m so glad I didn’t let appearances fool me. This is a compelling, well-written, beautifully directed and emotionally resonant coming-of-age story offering characters unlike any found in contemporary anime. While the fantasy world it offers isn’t as well-realized as a Westeros or Middle Earth, it uses those elements of traditional fantasy to create a cast and world that captures the spirit of the fairy tales of youth.

Every single character is multi-faceted, with even the seeming villains coming with backstories that humanize them. In one episode, ‘Ranking of Kings’ offers more character growth and investment than entire seasons of other shows; a testament to its amazing writing.

‘Ranking of Kings’ has set itself up to be one of the best anime of recent memory and I can’t wait to see where Prince Bojji’s story takes him.

Available on Crunchyroll and Funimation

Jujutsu Kaisen 0

Jujutsu Kaisen took the anime world by storm and was among the best shows I watched last year. And while fans patiently wait for the second season, they can check out the theatrical release of this prequel film, dropping March 18 in select theaters. If you’re curious about the backstory of some of your favorite mentor characters in the main series, this movie is for you.

Limited theater release: March 18

Shenmue the Animation

And finally:

Releasing on February 5, 'Shenmue' rounds out the season with an adaptation of the cult classic martial arts game. Ryo Hazuki searches out the murderer of his father from Japan to Hong Kong, and goes toe-to-toe with underground organizations in his pursuit of justice. Without the abundance of filler and mechanics that made the game series inaccessible to so many gamers, the anime should let the story and action shine through.

Available on Crunchyroll and airing on Adult Swim

This story was originally published by Sean Newgent of KGUN in Tucson. Follow him on Twitter for more reviews.

A man dressed in Batman's Joker costume and brandishing a knife on a Tokyo commuter train on Sunday stabbed several passengers before starting a fire, which sent people scrambling to escape and jumping from windows, police and witnesses said.

The Tokyo Fire Department said 17 passengers were injured, including three seriously. Not all of them were stabbed and most of the other injuries were not serious, the agency said.

The attacker, identified as a 24-year-old man, was arrested on the spot and was being investigated on suspicion of attempted murder, NHK said. His motive was not immediately known.

Nippon Television reported that the suspect told police that he wanted to kill and get the death penalty, and that he used an earlier train stabbing case as an example.

Witnesses told police that the attacker was wearing a bright outfit — a green shirt, a blue suit and a purple coat — like the Joker in Batman comics or someone going to a Halloween event, according to media reports.

Tokyo police officials said the attack happened inside the Keio train near the Kokuryo station.

Television footage showed a number of firefighters, police officials and paramedics rescuing the passengers, many of whom escaped through train windows. In one video, passengers were running from another car, where flames were gushing.

NHK said the suspect, after stabbing passengers, poured a liquid resembling oil from a plastic bottle and set fire, which partially burned seats.

Shunsuke Kimura, who filmed the video, told NHK that he saw passengers desperately running and while he was trying to figure out what happened, he heard an explosive noise and saw smoke wafting. He also jumped from a window but fell on the platform and hurt his shoulder.

“Train doors were closed and we had no idea what was happening, and we jumped from the windows,” Kimura said. “It was horrifying.”

The attack was the second involving a knife on a Tokyo train in two months.

In August, the day before the Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony, a 36-year-old man stabbed 10 passengers on a commuter train in Tokyo in a random burst of violence. The suspect later told police that he wanted to attack women who looked happy.

While shooting deaths are rare in Japan, the country has had a series of high-profile knife killings in recent years.

In 2019, a man carrying two knives attacked a group of schoolgirls waiting at a bus stop just outside Tokyo, killing two people and injuring 17 before killing himself. In 2018, a man killed a passenger and injured two others in a knife attack on a bullet train. In 2016, a former employee at a home for the disabled killed 19 people and injured more than 20.

TOKYO — Japan’s government says the coronavirus state of emergency will end Thursday to help rejuvenate the economy as infections slow.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that virus restrictions will be eased gradually.

“Our fight against the coronavirus is now entering a new phase,” Suga said. “Finally, we can see social and economic activities starting to normalize.”

With the lifting, Japan will be free of emergency requirements for the first time in more than six months.

The current state of emergency, which was declared in April, was repeatedly extended and expanded. The state of emergency remained in place even as the country hosted the Summer Olympics and the Paralympics.

The state of an emergency mainly involved asking restaurants and bars to limit hours and not serve alcohol.

Several governors throughout the country have said they plan to get some of those requests in place for the time being.

Despite public weariness and frustration over the measures, Japan has managed to avoid the more restrictive lockdowns imposed elsewhere while recording about 1.69 million cases and 17,500 deaths from COVID-19.

TOKYO —

Related video: Japanese Citizens Say 2021 Summer Olympics Are ‘Impossible’

More than 80% of people in Japan who were surveyed in two polls in the last few days say the Tokyo Olympics should be canceled or postponed, or say they believe the Olympics will not take place.

The polls were conducted by the Japanese news agency Kyodo and TBS — the Tokyo Broadcasting System.

The results are bad news for Tokyo organizers and the International Olympic Committee as they continue to say the postponed Olympics will open on July 23.

Tokyo is battling a surge of COVID-19 cases that prompted the national government last week to call a state of emergency. In declaring the emergency, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he was confident the Olympics would be held.

Japan has controlled the virus relatively well but the surge has heightened skepticism about the need for the Olympics and the danger of potentially bringing 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes into the country.

The Olympics could also attract tens of thousands of coaches, judges, officials, VIPs, sponsors, media and broadcasters. It is not clear if fans from abroad will be allowed, or if local fans will attend events.

Japan has attributed about 3,800 deaths to COVID-19 in a country of 126 million.

The TBS poll asked if the Olympics can be held. In the telephone survey with 1,261 responding, 81% replied “no” with only 13% answering “yes." The “no” responses increased 18 percentage points from a similar survey in December.

In Kyodo's poll, 80.1% of respondents in a telephone survey said the Olympics should be canceled or rescheduled. The same question in December found 63% calling for cancellation or postponement.

Kyodo said the survey covered 715 randomly selected households with eligible voters. Neither poll listed a margin of error.

Japan is officially spending $15.4 billion to hold the Olympics, although several government audits show the number is about $25 billion. All but $6.7 billion is public money.

The Switzerland-based IOC earns 91% of its income from selling broadcast rights and sponsorships.

The American network NBC agreed in 2011 to a $4.38 billion contract with the IOC to broadcast four Olympics through the Tokyo. In 2014 it agreed to pay an added $7.75 billion for six more games — Winter and Summer — through 2032.

TOKYO —

Related video above: Tokyo 2020: Anti-Olympic protesters rally to demand cancellation

Was it the strangest Olympics ever, staged during a deadly global pandemic, with no fans? How about the angriest, awash in protests and fierce opposition from large swaths of the host nation?

The scariest, with fears of new coronavirus variants and surging cases plaguing Japan— though mostly dodging those in the Olympic "bubble" — throughout the two weeks of sports? Or maybe, as athletes banded together under moments of intense stress, the kindest?

As tens of thousands of athletes, journalists and officials get ready to pack up and leave Monday, Japan will be left to pick over the answers to these questions, maybe for years. Amid the lingering glow from the televised pomp and the indisputable athletic drama, whatever you call these Olympics, it's worth stopping to consider how Japan sees them.

They were sold, well before the pandemic, as the symbol of Japan's recovery from the destruction of the 2011 tsunami and nuclear meltdown. The rhetoric now tends to focus on their link to the world overcoming coronavirus.

But does that really work in a country where thousands are still getting sick each day, let alone in other, even worse-hit nations that have sent athletes to Tokyo? Many here, while proud that Japan is on the verge of pulling off what many thought impossible or, in some corners, highly inadvisable, still believe these Games were forced on the country and that their real cost, possibly in lives lost, is yet to be paid.

Others are simply relieved they are over. And a large number maybe even enjoyed the ride, reveling in the sports themselves, Japan's surprisingly strong medal haul and the generally hospitable way the world was welcomed during a period of illness, fear and uncertainty.

Using some of the dozens of interviews conducted during and before these delayed and disputed Pandemic Games, The Associated Press takes a look at what some Japanese think they mean.

Is it representative of a nation of 126 million? Of course not. But the glimpses into the views of some of the people who lived through this Olympics offer a chance to cut through, in sometimes surprising ways, the government and IOC rhetoric that emphasized harmony and revitalization, and get a bit closer to the heart of the nation's sentiment.

THE BEGINNING

It started with a muted opening ceremony and an empty stadium, with moments so quiet that the shouts of protesters could be heard from the streets outside. Many residents watched with mixed feelings, to say the least, isolated from the Games by organizers trying to keep the Olympic visitors from mingling with the public, forced to modify their lives during a record wave of virus cases and yet another state of emergency.

Many were opposed, and that feeling persisted. But there was nuance, too — a desire to put the country's best face forward, now that the inevitable was happening, and a notion that this spectacle could act as a salve.

"I am very emotional and teary-eyed while watching the TV because even during the pandemic, the Olympics will still go on," Riza Nagumo, 53, a housewife, said. "I was praying so much to have this Olympics be a very successful event, to heal the world."

At a normally bustling intersection in Tokyo's Shibuya neighborhood, large screens that usually blast advertisements and show television were switched off. Many bars and restaurants were closed, and public viewing locations across Japan were shut down amid rising infections.

"Everyone is just enduring this," said Harumi Wada, a Tokyo resident. "But to hold the Olympics, despite everything, I feel there's a dissonance, and I think that distrust toward the government is getting stronger."

THE FAMILY

Despite the disruption, delays and disputes of these Games, the ban on spectators and big gatherings proved a surprising boon for some families.

While it's true that some bars and restaurants continued to see drinkers flouting pandemic restriction rules, even as late as Friday night, many Japanese stayed home with their relatives — and were delighted with the excuse to do so.

"We are often too busy in our daily life to have this kind of quality family time," said Ikuko Tozuka, 53, who gathered with her husband and two adult daughters in front of their TV screen in Oiso, west of Tokyo, to watch the Games. "So I am very happy that this Olympics has given us an opportunity to be together."

Hiroshi, the father, 58, even bought a new TV set to watch the Games with his family.

"It was actually good that this COVID-19 pandemic compelled us as a family to come together and watch the Games in this way," said Yu, his 26-year-old daughter.

THE PROTESTERS

Throughout the Games, small knots of protesters gathered to provide voice to what a much larger, mostly silent chunk of Japan was thinking. They chanted, "Cancel the Olympics." They carried banners reading, "No Olympics 2020 — Use that money for COVID-19" and "Is it more important than human life?"

Were these very public demonstrations representative of the whole country? It's complicated. Many said in polls they strongly opposed the Games; an unknown number may have been silently taking a wait-and-see attitude, hoping for the best.

In AP interviews conducted over the months between the postponement and the start of the Games, there could be found a feeling of resentment that the government had pushed ahead partly because of pressure from the IOC, which would have faced billions in lost television rights income without the Games. There was also fear over the Olympics spreading new strains of the coronavirus. The government's main medical adviser said it was "abnormal" to hold the Olympics during a pandemic.

"It's unethical to proceed with such a big event, with more than 10,000 athletes coming to Tokyo, all situated in one area," said Masa Yamagata, a Tokyo resident. "We can't enjoy it anyway. We can't celebrate it."

PAST AS PRESENT

Along with the anger and fear, these Games had a nostalgic element for some older Japanese who remembered the Summer Games of 1964, when Japan celebrated its rebuilding from the war and the turbulent years that followed.

Some felt remorse — a sense of what might have been — because these Games would be so much more circumscribed than the last time they were in Tokyo.

There was also gratitude. Thanks to these Games, Seiichi Kuroki, 55, saw his relationship with his 85-year-old father, Masatoshi Kuroki, deepen as they talked about Masatoshi's role as a marshal at the opening ceremony of the 1964 Olympics.

"I am very grateful for that," Kuroki said. "He looks happy when I ask him questions such as, 'What were you doing then at the Games?' Because that is his legacy. "

There was a tinge of sorrow, however, for Takemasa Taguchi, as the 83-year-old remembered Tokyo's celebratory mood in 1964.

"I am so sad about this situation," Taguchi said. "I was hoping that we could have celebrated and danced together with people from all over the world."

SOCIAL CHANGE

Some hoped the Games would bring change to Japanese society, where minorities still suffer from discrimination and prejudice. Few felt that the Games would solve all of Japan's social issues: Can an Olympics event ever live up to the expectations that are heaped on it? But with the world's attention focused on Japan, some saw movement forward on the issues they cared about.

Ahead of the Games, Makoto Kikuchi, a 34-year-old professional boxer, decided to come out as a lesbian.

"By speaking openly and becoming one of the out athletes, I hoped to be as helpful as possible for those who feel lonely," Kikuchi said.

The Tokyo Games included 179 openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and nonbinary athletes, according to Outsport.com. That's more than three times the number from the 2016 Games in Rio.

While same-sex marriages are not legally recognized here, Fumino Sugiyama, a transgender activist and former fencer on Japan's women's national team, said support of sexual diversity has slowly grown.

"It is truly great that a path has finally been created for athletes to be able to compete while being their authentic selves in sports," said the 39-year-old, who was nominated to the Japanese Olympic Committee's board of directors before the Games.

The United States handily won their men's basketball match against Iran, showcasing the country's strength in both offense in defense.Team USA dominated the court, defeating Iran with a final score of 120-66. Team USA is the most successful nation in men's Olympic basketball, having won all but four Olympic gold medals since basketball was introduced as a sport at the Games in 1936.This is a breaking story and will be updated.

In a way, the massive upheaval that upended the U.S. Olympic world over the past five years was designed for the sort of moment Simone Biles faced.

Not long after Biles withdrew from the gymnastics team final Tuesday night, the leader of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said she was convinced as ever that changes geared toward a sharper focus on the overall health of athletes — not just the medals they win — have been worth it.

Sarah Hirshland, the CEO of the USOPC, told The Associated Press if a new atmosphere the federation has tried to create played any small part in offering comfort to Biles as she wrestled with what to do, “then I’m thrilled that it was a safe enough space for her to make that decision."

“Whether it's our organization, the changes at (USA Gymnastics) or whether it's because it's a conversation that’s been happening in society and in the athlete community overall, it’s positive,” Hirshland said.

Biles said she pulled out of Tuesday's meet because “I have to do what’s right for me and focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and my well-being."

Hirshland came aboard at the USOPC in 2018, shortly after details emerged about former gymnastics coach Larry Nassar's abuse of dozens of athletes over the span of decades. USA Gymnastics underwent a thorough housecleaning, starting with its top executives and including national team coordinator Marta Karolyi.

Related video: 2020 Olympics -- opening ceremony

The USOPC also underwent massive change: The positions of board chair, CEO and sports performance director all changed hands. The federation has been overhauling everything from its mission statement to the way it allocates resources. The COVID-19 pandemic that postponed the Tokyo Games by a year only served to heighten the focus on athlete well-being. One key part of the USOPC overhaul included its increased emphasis on mental health counseling.

“We're deploying every resource that’s available to her, and we want to give her space to make choices that are going to be right for her,” Hirshland said of Biles. “We can't know the answer because none of us live in her shoes.”

On Wednesday afternoon in Tokyo, Biles withdrew from the women's all-around, giving up the chance to defend the coveted title. She has not decided if she will compete in the event finals scheduled later in the week.

Her decision to pull out of the team final almost certainly turned a gold medal into a silver for the U.S. team. What she does next will impact the U.S. medal haul. She had been expected to win as many four golds in the individual events.

None of that matters, Hirshland insists.

“These are not the USOPC's medals, these are the athletes' medals," she said. "We can't lose site of that. They make these choices. They do the work. They perform, and we are simply here to create an environment in which they can be successful.”

TOKYO —

On the Olympic podium, three teenage girls — 13, 13 and 16 — with weighty gold, silver and bronze medals around their young necks, rewards for having landed tricks on their skateboards that most kids their age only get to see on Instagram.

After decades in the shadows of men's skateboarding, the future for the sport's daring, trailblazing women suddenly looked brighter than ever at the Tokyo Games on Monday.

It's anyone's guess how many young girls tuned in to watch Momiji Nishiya of Japan win the debut Olympic skateboarding event for women, giving the host nation a sweep of golds in the street event after Yuto Horigome won the men's event.

But around the world, girls trying to convince their parents that they, too, should be allowed to skate can now point to the 13-year-old from Osaka as an Olympic-sized example of skateboarding's possibilities.

The silver went to Rayssa Leal, also 13 — Brazil's second silver in skateboarding after Kelvin Hoefler finished second on Sunday in the men's event.

The women's bronze went to Funa Nakayama of Japan.

The event was celebrated as a win for women by many of the 20 competitors.

The field included Leticia Bufoni of Brazil, whose board was snapped in two by her dad when she was a kid to try to stop her from skating. There was a Canadian, Annie Guglia, who didn't see any other girls skate during her first two years on her board.

And there were plenty of others for whom the Olympic competition felt like a light at the end of a long tunnel.

"It's going to change the whole game," U.S. skater Mariah Duran said. "This is like opening at least one door to, you know, many skaters who are having the conversations with their parents, who want to start skating.

"I'm not surprised if there's probably already like 500 girls getting a board today."

Staging an Olympics during the worst pandemic in a century? There’s a widespread perception that it couldn’t happen in a better place than Japan.

A vibrant, open democracy with deep pockets, the host nation is known for its diligent execution of detail-laden, large-scale projects, its technological advances, its consensus-building and world-class infrastructure. All this, on paper, at least, gives the strong impression that Japan is one of the few places in the world that could even consider pulling off the high-stakes tightrope walk that the Tokyo Games represent.

Some in Japan aren't buying it.

"No country should hold an Olympics during a pandemic to start with. And if you absolutely must, then a more authoritarian and high-tech China or Singapore would probably be able to control COVID better," said Koichi Nakano, a politics professor at Sophia University in Tokyo.

The bureaucratic, technological, logistical and political contortions required to execute this unprecedented feat — a massively complicated, deeply scrutinized spectacle during a time of global turmoil, death and suffering — have already put an unwelcome spotlight on the country.

Most of all, it has highlighted some embarrassing things: that much of Japan doesn't want the Games, that the nation's vaccine rollout was late and is only now expanding, and that many suspect the Games are being forced on the country because the International Olympic Committee needs the billions in media revenue.

The worry here isn't that Tokyo's organizers can't get to the finish line without a major disaster. That seems possible and would allow organizers to claim victory, of a kind.

The fear is that once the athletes and officials leave town, the nation that unwillingly sacrificed much for the cause of global sporting unity might be left the poorer for it, and not just in the tens of billions of dollars it has spent on the Games.

The Japanese public may see an already bad coronavirus situation become even worse; Olympics visitors here have already carried fast-spreading variants of the virus into a nation that is only approaching 25% fully vaccinated.

The Tokyo Olympics are, in one sense, a way for visitors to test for themselves some of the common perceptions about Japan that have contributed to this image of the country as the right place to play host. The results, early on in these Games, are somewhat of a mixed bag.

On the plus side, consider the airport arrivals for the thousands of Olympics participants. They showcased Japan’s ability to harness intensely organized workflow skills and bring them to bear on a specific task — in this case, protection against COVID-19 that might be brought in by a swarm of outsiders.

From the moment visitors stepped from their aircraft at Narita International Airport, they were corralled — gently, cheerfully, but in no uncertain terms firmly — into lines, then guided across the deserted airport like second-graders heading to recess. Barriers, some with friendly signs attached, ensured they got documents checked, forehead temperatures measured, hands sanitized and saliva extracted.

Symmetrical layouts of chairs, each meticulously numbered, greeted travelers awaiting their COVID-19 test results and Olympic credentials were validated while they waited. The next steps — immigration, customs — were equally efficient, managing to be both crisp and restrictive, but also completely amiable. You emerged from the airport a bit dizzy from all the guidance and herding, but with ego largely unbruised.

But there have also been conspicuous failures.

After the opening ceremony ended, for instance, hundreds of people in the stadium were crammed into a corral-like pen, forced to wait cheek by jowl for hours with only a flimsy barricade separating them from curious Japanese onlookers, while dozens of empty buses idled in a line stretching for blocks, barely moving.

Japan does have some obvious advantages over other democracies when it comes to hosting these Games, such as its economic might. As the world's third-largest economy, after the United States and China, it was able to spend the billions needed to orchestrate these protean games, with their mounting costs and changing demands.

Another advantage could be Japan's well-deserved reputation for impeccable customer service. Few places in the world take as much pride in catering to visitors' needs. It's an open question, however, whether that real inclination toward hospitality will be tested by the extreme pressure.

A geopolitical imperative may be another big motivator. Japanese archrival China hosts next year's Winter Games, and many nationalists here maintain that an Olympic failure is not an option amid the struggle with Beijing for influence in Asia. Yoshihide Suga, the prime minister, may also be hoping that a face-saving Games, which he can then declare successful, will help him retain power in fall elections.

And the potential holes in the argument that Japan is the perfect host nation for a pandemic Games?

Start, maybe, with leadership. It has never been clear who is in charge. Is it the city of Tokyo? The national government? The IOC? The Japanese Olympic Committee?

"This Olympics has been an all-Japan national project, but, as is often pointed out, nobody has a clear idea about who is the main organizer," said Akio Yamaguchi, a crisis communications consultant at Tokyo-based AccessEast. "Uncertainty is the biggest risk."

Japan has also faced a problem particular to democracies: a fierce, sometimes messy public debate about whether it was a good idea to hold the Games.

"After the postponement, we have never had a clear answer on how to host the Olympics. The focus was whether we can do it or not, instead of discussing why and how to do it," said Yuji Ishizaka, a sports sociologist at Nara Women’s University.

"Japan is crucially bad at developing a 'plan B.' Japanese organizations are nearly incapable of drafting scenarios where something unexpected happens," Ishizaka said. "There was very little planning that simulated the circumstances in 2021."

Another possibly shaky foundation of outside confidence in Japan is its reputation as a technologically adept wonder of efficiency.

Arriving athletes and reporters "will probably realize that Japan is not as high-tech or as efficient as it has been often believed," Nakano said. "More may then realize that it is the utter lack of accountability of the colluded political, business and media elites that 'enabled' Japan to hold the Olympics in spite of very negative public opinion — and quite possibly with considerable human sacrifice."

The Tokyo Games are a Rorschach test of sorts, laying out for examination the many different ideas about Japan as Olympic host. For now, they raise more questions than they answer.

Will virus cases and deaths spike? Will political fortunes be reversed? Will an international reputation for high-tech efficiency be exposed as not quite right?

Japan has taken a big risk, gambling that it can pull off these unprecedented Games. Whatever the politicians and nationalists say about their success in the coming days, a true answer about whether Japan really was the right place to host will have to wait until after the Olympic flame is snuffed out and the visitors leave. Only then, with some distance, will clarity arrive.

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AP writers Kantaro Komiya and Ted Anthony contributed to this report. Foster Klug, news director for Japan, the Koreas, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific at The Associated Press, has been covering Asia since 2005 and is based in Tokyo.

A weakening In-fa is beginning to track away from the southern Japanese islands but has its eye set on eastern China by the end of this weekend. The storm could bring extremely heavy rainfall to millions in China.

And behind In-fa, there is a growing tropical threat from newly named Tropical Storm Nepartak for northern and central parts of Japan, which could potentially impact the Olympic Games by early next week.

In-fa is currently located about 170 miles west-southwest from Okinawa and is moving northwest. The storm has been a typhoon for much of this week but has now weakened to a strong tropical storm, with winds up to 70 mph near its center, as of the latest update from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

In-fa has been weakening due to dry air, thus weakening its thunderstorms, as well as slightly cooler sea surface temperatures.

The good news is no significant strengthening of this storm is expected because of this. But it will still be a strong tropical storm or weak hurricane impacting land in the northwest Pacific Ocean.

In-fa will head toward eastern China

In-fa is beginning to pull away to the north and west from the Japanese islands, but rain and wind will persist into Saturday.

The center of the storm is now passing well north of Taiwan, but the island will still receive major amounts of rain.

"The mountain chain in Taiwan could squeeze up to a meter's worth of rain over the region, while Taiwan has been dealing with its worst drought in some 50 years. This amount of rain could lead to catastrophic flash flooding and landslides," says CNN meteorologist Tom Sater.

An additional 2 to 4 inches is expected through Saturday night.

As In-fa pulls away from Japan and Taiwan this weekend, the storm will head toward eastern China and will likely affect the area beginning Sunday.

It is expected to make landfall in the area between Shanghai and Wenzhou, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.

The typhoon warning center is expecting maximum sustained winds near the center of the storm to be at about 60 mph, which is a strong tropical storm. However, the storm may still be at typhoon intensity due to some uncertainty still in the forecast.

The greater concern is for flooding rains possible for highly populated areas of China.

"Heavy rain will be the story with this as much of it on the Shanghai side of the storm and where most of the moisture is pushed onto shore," says CNN meteorologist Michael Guy.

"Rainfall up to 10 inches will be widespread with higher amounts up to 20+ inches in isolated locations. Flooding will be a major concern from this."

Nepartak may affect the Olympics

On the heels of Tropical Storm In-fa is Tropical Storm Nepartak, a new subtropical cyclone that formed Friday night over the western Pacific Ocean.

It formed about 800 miles southeast of Japan, and currently has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph as of the latest update, according to the typhoon warning center.

The forecast track from the center brings the storm to mainland Japan by Tuesday, with Tokyo in the forecast cone.

Nepartak is classified as a subtropical cyclone and is expected to remain subtropical through its forecast period. This characteristic essentially means the strongest winds won't be just consolidated near the center of the storm but rather can extend farther out from the center.

The storm is expected to strengthen over the coming days, reaching tropical storm intensity this weekend.

By Sunday night, its winds are expected to peak at 55 mph before gradually weakening again.

Nepartak is expected to affect parts of mainland Japan by Tuesday, including the Tokyo area where the Olympics are taking place. Maximum winds are expected to be around 40 mph when it reaches Japan.

There remains a high amount of uncertainty with the forecast by early next week, the center notes in its discussion, in terms of where it affects Japan and the strength of its winds.

Related video above: Japan Tops Australia In Softball As Delayed Tokyo Games Open

The United States has beat Canada 1-0 for a 2-0 start in Olympic softball.

Monica Abbott pitched a one-hitter and center fielder Haylie McCleney and second baseman Ali Aguilar combined to throw out the potential tying run at the plate in the sixth inning.

The Americans are getting just enough offense as they try to regain the gold medal they lost to Japan in 2008.

Abbott struck out nine, walked three and needed 102 pitches to throw the Americans’ second consecutive one-hitter. Cat Osterman, at age 38 the Americans’ senior player, struck out nine over six innings and Abbott struck out the side in the seventh to finish an opening 2-0 win over Italy on Wednesday.

Amanda Chidester hit an RBI single in the fifth off loser Jenna Caira that scored McCleney, who went 3 for 3 with a walk and has reached base seven times in the two games.

TOKYO —

Video above: Simone Biles and her teammates board flight to Tokyo

Sydney McLaughlin turns 22 three days after the final of the 400-meter hurdles, in which she might win Olympic gold and may even lower her current world record.

Her big birthday plans?

"Try and find a cupcake and then blow out the candles by myself," McLaughlin said.

Welcome to the no-fun Olympics, where celebrations and camaraderie will be muted by stringent rules and regulations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Navigating the Tokyo Games may prove to be anything but a piece of cake: Masks and social distancing — 2 meters (more than 6 feet) — strictly required. Hugging is a no-no when celebrating. Meals in big groups are to be avoided. Alcohol must be consumed in one's room — and alone. Family interactions are basically reduced to video chatting.

Not exactly the once-in-a-lifetime experience many athletes were envisioning.

"In my head, it's going to be like a really cool jail. Like you're going to be super excited, but you're still in jail," American archer and three-time Olympic medalist Brady Ellison said. "But when we get there, it may not be nearly as bad as what we think it is, right?"

The lengthy playbook — a guideline for a "safe and successful Games" — is filled with "cannots" and "do nots." Slip-ups and their consequences range from warnings to fines to maybe even worse — expulsion? — for the approximately 15,400 athletes expected to take part in the Olympics and Paralympics.

Athletes are taking the heavy restrictions — no shaking hands, don't walk around the city, eat alone when possible — in stride. Because there's a big silver lining: They're finally green-lighted to compete after the Tokyo Games were postponed a year due to COVID-19.

"They're sacrificing a lot," USA men's basketball and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They can't take their friends or family to Tokyo. It's a huge sacrifice and I think they deserve a lot of credit for that."

Then again, athletes have become adept at being flexible.

"I guess the one thing the pandemic has taught me is not to have any expectations and always expect this constant unknown," said U.S. women's volleyball player Jordan Larson, who is heading to her third Olympics. "It's going to be different than our past experiences for sure. But I also think we're going to look back and be like, 'Whoa, remember that time we played in an Olympic Games in the middle of the pandemic?'"

Another added wrinkle to overcome: homesickness. Most family members will only be allowed to offer support through phone calls and video chats.

"It's going to be sad for a lot of families and friends," Larson said, "just because it is such a special moment in life."

The stage is set, though, for some gold medal-worthy performances on social media. Let the singing and dancing commence with posts on TikTok, which wasn't around for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

"I feel like it's going to a very social media-heavy Olympics, given the fact that everyone is going to be stuck in their rooms," American 400-meter hurdler Rai Benjamin said.

To fill the down time between practice and competitions, participants are turning to a variety of activities:

— American high jumper Vashti Cunningham plans to catch up on episodes of "Naruto," a Japanese anime series on Netflix.

— Paralympian cyclist/barista Oksana Masters intends to open a coffee bar in her room, bringing plenty of coffee beans — and her grinder — to serve fellow athletes and keep them "well-caffeinated," the eight-time Paralympic medalist said.

— Sylvia Fowles will spend some time in Tokyo studying mortuary sciences. The WNBA MVP in 2017 and three-time gold medalist for the U.S. women's basketball team has to be ready after the Olympics. "Just waiting to take national boards," Fowles said.

— Norwegian 400-meter hurdle world record-holder Karsten Warholm will go old-school and bring DVDs.

— U.S. women's volleyball coach Karch Kiraly has games lined up such as cornhole.

— Ellison will hit the virtual links inside his room, with "tee times" at famed courses such as St. Andrews in Scotland and Augusta. His rounds will provide a little physical activity because he will be swinging a golf club that serves as a game simulator.

"It will be nice to have a little bit of movement," Ellison said. "You kind of turn to jelly when you have to sit in a hotel room."

To stay locked in, Jourdan Delacruz and the U.S. weightlifting team are training in Waikiki, working out on Tokyo time (waking up late) and in a converted hotel ballroom.

The plan: travel to Japan a few days before her event, compete and then head back to Hawaii, where her parents, brother and cousin will be waiting. Then, watch the rest of the Tokyo Games with family and teammates.

"I was really looking forward to watching other athletes from different sports," Delacruz said. "At this point, I'm just very grateful that it's even happening."

About the celebrations (for a medal or just in general): Keep a safe distance — and no alcohol allowed in public areas of the village. If athletes want a drink, they're being told to "drink alone" in their room.

One of the symbols of the celebratory atmosphere of the Olympics is its longstanding distribution of condoms. In Rio, for instance, officials doled out 450,000 through vending machines and with signs that read, "Celebrate with a Condom." This time, there will be 150,000 condoms given to athletes only as they leave for home.

Speaking of leaving for home, athletes are asked to pack up and depart no more than 48 hours after they're done competing.

"It's very restrictive. You can't be a tourist," U.S. rower Grace Luczak said. "I don't think we're going to be able to stay around to see all the rowing events finish."

A totally different Olympics, for sure. Everyone's just trying to make the most of the unprecedented situation.

"We'll cheer ... from afar," said Nancy Smith, the mother of U.S. volleyball player David Smith. "It's not the same. But we're thankful he gets to go."

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AP Sports Writers James Ellingworth, Teresa Walker, Jenna Fryer and Josh Dubow and AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON —

President Joe Biden is welcoming Japan's prime minister to the White House on Friday in his first face-to-face meeting with a foreign leader, a choice that reflects Biden's emphasis on strengthening alliances to deal with a more assertive China and other global challenges.

Biden and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also look to counter messaging from Chinese President Xi Jinping that America and democracies in general are on the decline, after the political turmoil and international withdrawal that marked Donald Trump's presidency.

The Biden administration calls managing U.S. policies toward the Indo-Pacific, where China under Xi is flexing growing economic and military power, the primary challenge for the United States. That helped guide Biden's decision, announced this week, to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan and free the administration to focus more on East Asia.

For Biden and Suga, "our approach to China and our shared coordination and cooperation on that front will be part of the discussion," press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday. The two will discuss other regional security issues, including North Korea's nuclear program.

Suga, a farmer's son who rose to Japan's highest political office after an early stint as a worker in a cardboard factory, succeeded boss Shinzo Abe last September, after long serving as his chief Cabinet secretary.

Suga expressed eagerness to meet with Biden early on despite global COVID-19 lockdowns. He looks to showcase security commitments with the United States, Japan’s only treaty ally.

Heading to Washington, Suga told reporters he aimed to build "a relationship of trust" with Biden.

The months-old Biden administration, for its part, looks to Suga to keep going on alliance-strengthening moves by both countries.

The two governments have been working to strengthen technology supply chains independent of China during a shortage of semiconductors that's worrying businesses around the world. Japan is expected to announce an investment in 5G cellular networks, boosting alternatives to China's network, as part of that supply chain cooperation.

Both countries are expected in coming days to make deeper commitments to cutting climate-wrecking fossil fuel emissions, in line with Biden’s climate summit with 40 world leaders next week.

The Biden administration may also have tougher requests of Japan, including pressing Suga for a rare public statement of support from a Japanese leader for Taiwan. China, which claims the self-governed island of Taiwan as its territory, tested U.S. and Taiwanese resolve weeks into the Biden administration by sending fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan.

Japan long has moved cautiously on steps that might worsen relations with China, though Suga has been more outspoken. His administration pushed its comfort zone in a statement stressing "peace and stability" on the Taiwan Strait. That came during a visit last month by Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, which was the Biden administration's highest-level face-to-face meeting at the time.

World leaders worry about Taiwan as a trigger for conflict between China and the United States.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned his Japanese counterpart in a call ahead of Suga's visit to see to it that China-Japan relations "do not get involved in the so-called confrontation between major countries," according to a Chinese government readout.

Japan’s backing of the U.S. presence in the Pacific is growing as the nations promote a "free and open Indo-Pacific" vision of the democracies to counter China.

But Japan's economy is intertwined with China's. That means even "with security concerns on the rise, Japan would have to take a two-pronged approach to balance competition and cooperation," said Akio Takahara, a professor and China expert at the University of Tokyo.

Japan considers China’s growing military activity as well as its broad territorial claims to be a security threat. Japan is itself locked in a dispute with China over Beijing’s claim to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, called Diaoyu in China, in the East China Sea.

Elsewhere, Tokyo has watched with concern as China has built military installations on disputed territory it claims in the South China Sea.

U.S. ships regularly conduct so-called freedom of navigation operations, sailing into international waters that China claims as its own.

President Barack Obama was seen as cajoling China, in hopes of encouraging reforms. After initially praising Xi, Trump later took on China head-on and solo, with tariffs and insults, while building a golf-buddy relationship with Suga's predecessor, Abe. Biden has taken a different approach, reaching out to allies to try to form united fronts.

Suga and Biden "aim to show to the world that democracies can provide to the world an example," said Kenju Murakami, Japan’s deputy consul-general in New York.

China also has taken note of the Biden administration's support for reviving a loose four-country coalition with Japan, India and Australia, known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad. Biden and Suga on Friday are expected to announce steps through the Quad framework to help India produce COVID-19 vaccines.

Formed initially to coordinate relief efforts after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Quad had faded away for a time in part over concerns that its existence would provoke China, by suggesting the four countries were ganging up against it, noted Tanvi Madan, an expert on India and its relations in the Indo-Pacific at the Brookings Institution.

But "lately, all the things we worried about that China would do if they were provoked, they're already doing anyway," Madan said.

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Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City and Yamaguchi from Tokyo.

The president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee hinted Friday that even local fans may be barred from venues when the games open in just under two months.

Fans from abroad were ruled out months ago as being too risky during a pandemic.

The prospect of empty venues at the postponed Olympics became more likely when the Japanese government decided Friday to extend a state of emergency until June 20 as COVID-19 cases continue to put the medical system under strain.

The state of emergency was to have been lifted on Monday. The extension in Tokyo, Osaka and other prefectures raises even more questions if the Olympics can be held at all.

Organizers and the IOC are insistent they will go ahead despite polls in Japan showing 60-80% want them called off.

"We would like to make a decision as soon as possible (on fans), but after the state of emergency is lifted we will assess," organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said at her weekly briefing.

Hashimoto promised to decide on local fans by April, then put it off until early June. Now the deadline is within a month of the July 23 opening date.

"There are many people who are saying that for the Olympic Games we have to run without spectators, although other sports are accepting spectators," Hashimoto said. "So we need to keep that in mind. We need to avoid that the local medical services are affected. We need to take those things into consideration before agreeing on the spectator count."

Cancellation pressure grows daily on Tokyo and the IOC as more questions arise about the risks of bringing 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes from more than 200 countries and territories into Japan, a country that has been largely closed off during the pandemic.

The IOC says more than 80% of athletes and staff staying in the Olympic Village on Tokyo Bay will be vaccinated. They are expected to remain largely in a bubble at the village and at venues.

In addition to athletes, tens of thousands of judges, officials, VIPs, media and broadcasters will also have to enter Japan.

Earlier this week, the New England Journal of Medicine said in a commentary: "We believe the IOC’s determination to proceed with the Olympic Games is not informed by the best scientific evidence."

It questioned the IOC’s so-called Playbooks, which spell out rules at the games for athletes, staff, media and others. The final edition will be published next month. Also this week, the Asahi Shimbun — the country's second-largest newspaper — said the Olympics should be canceled.

The British Medical Journal last month in an editorial also asked organizers to "reconsider" holding the Olympics in the middle of a pandemic.

On Thursday, the head of a small doctors' union in Japan warned that holding the Olympics could lead to the spread of variants of the coronavirus. He mentioned strains in India, Britain, South Africa and Brazil.

Japan has attributed about 12,500 deaths to COVID-19, a relatively small number that has gone up steadily in the last few months. The vaccination rollout began slowly in Japan, but has moved more quickly in the last few days. Vaccinated people are estimated at about 5% of the population.

The IOC, which often cites the World Health Organization as the source of much of its coronavirus information, has been steadfast in saying the games will happen. It receives about 75% of its income from selling broadcast rights, which is estimated to be $2 billion-$3 billion from Tokyo. That cashflow has been slowed by the postponement.

Japan itself has officially spent $15.4 billion or organize the Olympics, and government audits suggest the figure is even higher.

Senior IOC member Richard Pound told a British newspaper this week that "barring Armageddon" the games will take place. Last week, IOC vice president John Coates was asked if the Olympics would open, even if there were a state of emergency.

"Absolutely, yes," he replied.

IOC President Thomas Bach has also said "everyone in the Olympic community" needs to make sacrifices to hold the Olympics.

The message got pushback from Japanese social and local media, some of which noted that the IOC and the so-called Olympic Family are booked into many of Tokyo's top five-star hotels during the games.

Hashimoto defended the IOC's leadership.

"The IOC has a strong determination to hold the games," she said. "So such a strong will is translated into strong words. That’s how I feel."

The IOC vice president in charge of the postponed Tokyo Olympics said Friday the games would open in just over two months even if the city and other parts of Japan were under a state of emergency because of rising COVID-19 cases.

John Coates, speaking from Australia in a virtual news conference with Tokyo organizers at the end of three days of meetings, said this would be the case even if local medical experts advised against holding the Olympics.

"The advice we have from the WHO (World Health Organization) and all other scientific and medical advice that we have is that — all the measures we have outlined, all of those measures that we are undertaking are satisfactory and will ensure a safe and secure games in terms of health," Coates said. "And that's the case whether there is a state of emergency or not."

Public opinion in Japan has been running at 60-80% against opening the Olympics on July 23, depending on how the question is phrased. Coates suggested public opinion might improve as more Japanese get fully vaccinated. That figure is now about 2%.

"If it doesn't then our position is that we have to make sure that we get on with our job," Coates said. "And our job is to ensure these games are safe for all the participants and all the people of Japan."

IOC officials say they expect more than 80% of the residents of the Olympic Village, located on Tokyo Bay, to be vaccinated and be largely cut off from contact with the public. About 11,000 Olympic and 4,400 Paralympic athletes are expected to attend.

Coates said about 80% of spots in the Olympics would be awarded from qualifying events, with 20% coming from rankings.

Coates left no doubt that the Switzerland-based International Olympic Committee believes the Tokyo Games will happen. The IOC gets almost 75% of its income from selling broadcast rights, a key driver in pushing on. And Tokyo has officially spent $15.4 billion to organize the Olympics, though a government audit suggests the real number is much higher.

Tokyo, Osaka and several other prefectures are currently under a state of emergency and health-care systems are being stretched. Emergency measures are scheduled to end on May 31, but they are likely to be extended.

"If the current situation continues, I hope the government will have the wisdom not to end the emergency at the end of May," Haruo Ozaki, head of the Tokyo Medical Association, told the weekly magazine Aera.

Ozaki has consistently said government measures to control the spread of COVID-19 have been insufficient. About 12,000 deaths in Japan have been attributed to the virus, and the situation is exacerbated since so few in Japan have been fully vaccinated.

Ozaki warned that if the emergency conditions are not extended, the virus and contagious variants will spread quickly.

"If that happens, there will be a major outbreak, and it is possible that holding the games will become hopeless," he added.

Ozaki is not alone with this warning.

The 6,000-member Tokyo Medical Practitioners' Association called for the Olympics to be canceled in a letter sent last week to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa, and Seiko Hashimoto, the head of the organizing committee.

"We believe the correct choice is to cancel an event that has the possibility of increasing the numbers of infected people and deaths," the letter said.

Hashimoto addressed the worry of ordinary Japanese.

"At present there are not a few people who feel uneasy about the fact the games are going to be held where a lot of people are coming from abroad," she said. "There are other people who are concerned about the possible burden on the medical system of Japan."

She said the number of "stakeholders" coming to Japan from abroad had been reduced from 180,000 to about 80,000. She said Olympic "stakeholders" would amount to 59,000, of which 23,000 were Olympic family and international federations. She said an added 17,000 would involve television rights holders, with 6,000 more media.

She also said 230 physicians and 310 nurses would be needed daily, and said about 30 hospitals in Tokyo and outside were contacted about caring for Olympic patients. Organizers have said previously that 10,000 medical workers would be needed for the Olympics.

Hashimoto said retired nurses might also be called in. Separately, the IOC has said it will make available an unspecified number of medical personnel from unnamed national Olympic committees.

Fans from abroad were banned months ago. Hashimoto said the number of spectators — if any — at venues would "depend on the spread of the infection." She has promised a decision on venue capacity next month.

Kaori Yamaguchi, a bronze medalist in judo at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and a member of the Japanese Olympic Committee, hinted in an interview with the Kyodo news agency this week that organizers were cornered. She has been skeptical about going ahead.

"We're starting to reach a point where we can't even cancel anymore," she said.

The IOC's most senior member, Richard Pound, said in an interview with Japan's JiJi Press that the final deadline to call off the Olympics was still a month away.

"Before the end of June, you really need to know, yes or no," JiJi quoted Pound as saying.

Pound repeated — as the IOC has said — that if the games can't happen now they will be canceled, not postponed again.

IOC President Thomas Bach now plans to arrive in Tokyo only July 12. He was forced to cancel a trip to Japan this month because of rising COVID-19 cases.

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Kantaro Komiya contributed to this report.

The first time Abraham Majok Matet Guem competed in a track race, he ran in his black school shoes.

Guem — now a 21-year-old Olympian representing South Sudan — was so fast he quickly caught the eye of a coach, who bought him proper running shoes and sportswear.

"I used those for some years, and there was no way when that one got finished that I'd have any money to buy another one or get another pair of shoes," Guem told CNN's Blake Essig.

But as a budding track athlete, his high school intervened — giving him a scholarship and loaning him running shoes, which he gave back to the next student after he graduated.

For aspiring South Sudanese athletes, training has always been a challenge. Many of them, said Guem, struggle to get one square meal a day and train on uneven rocky terrain.

"I think around 60% of athletes do not have even a pair of shoes, so they run barefoot," he added.

In 2011, South Sudan gained independence and became the world's youngest country. But civil war erupted two years later, killing an estimated 400,000 people and forcing millions from their homes to create Africa's biggest refugee crisis and the world's third-largest after Syria and Afghanistan.

Despite the hardships, running kept Guem going. At the 2019 Africa Games held in Morocco, he broke South Sudan's national record for the 1,500 meters and was selected to become part of his country's Olympic team.

Since November 2019, he and three other South Sudanese athletes and their coach have been living and training in the small Japanese city of Maebashi in Gunma prefecture — around a two-hour drive from Tokyo.

While many Japanese towns and cities that signed up to host Olympic teams have been forced to rethink their plans due to the ongoing pandemic, Maebashi is an exception.

When the pandemic delayed the Games by one year, the city of 350,000 people raised almost $300,000 nationwide in taxes and donations like running shoes and athletic gear in December 2020 to ensure the Olympians and their coach could stay on in Maebashi — and cement an Olympic legacy.

Sports and unity

Guem said he and his team's mission is to promote the importance of unity at home in South Sudan.

The 1,500m runner said he sought to represent South Sudanese states other than his own at local and national competitions.

"I've never competed for my hometown or my state but always for other states to show my love for them and that they are all equal," he said.

That thinking is in line with a South Sudanese sports festival dubbed "National Unity Day," which has been co-organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a government agency supporting growth in other countries, and the South Sudan Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. In its fifth year, that event brings together young people from all over South Sudan.

While the participants come from different tribes and ethnic groups that might not see eye-to-eye, the sports festival provides a space for them to find common ground. The youths, for instance, all sleep in the same building, dine together, and can interact freely, and get to know each other, said Guem, who took part in 2016.

"Sports is one unifying factor that is very necessary for a country like South Sudan," he added. "When you have war, and you are always kept apart, you don't come together. And I'm sure the guys went back with different mindsets about others."

'Like superheroes'

Over in Japan, Guem said he and his team had found a stable environment to work towards their goal.

The postponement of Tokyo 2020 also gave them time to train harder. Michael Machiek, 30 — South Sudan's first Paralympian — said he broke two personal bests while in Japan.

"That's giving me hope to go and compete with the top Paralympic athletes," he said.

Beyond training, the South Sudanese Olympians have done what few other international teams will have the opportunity to do. Over the past year and a half, they've gotten to know Maebashi residents, sampled the local fare, and attended Japanese and computer classes four times a week.

"They don't seem like strangers in Maebashi — it's more like they are members of the community. I think they're viewed like superheroes," said Shunya Miyata, the coordinator for International Cooperation at JICA.

That fandom has even earned them a solid support base.

To date, JICA has sold over 3,000 T-shirts to raise funds for the athletes. Local businesses have also pitched in. Maebashi city's dental association pledged free care throughout the athlete's stay, and 10 vending machines have been erected in Maebashi to support the South Sudanese team.

Olympic legacy

Next year, two athletes who played an active part in National Unity Day will be invited to spend six months in Maebashi City as part of the long-term training camp. The aim is to support the next generation of athletes from South Sudan, according to Shinichi Hagiwara, a Maebashi city official.

"Through the South Sudanese athletes, we've had the opportunity to think about the idea of peace together and realize that it's not something that we can take for granted," said Shinichi Hagiwara, a Maebashi city official.

"People in Maebashi will be rooting for these athletes at the Olympics."

But with the Games fast approaching — the Opening Ceremony is on July 23 — questions remain over how Tokyo can hold a massive sporting event and keep volunteers, athletes, officials — and the Japanese public — safe from COVID-19.

That concern has been amplified by Japan's battle with a fourth wave. The country passed 647,000 total coronavirus cases on Wednesday, and several prefectures — including Tokyo — are under a state of emergency until the end of May.

So far, Japan has only vaccinated about 4.4 million of its 126 million people, with roughly only 1% of the population totally vaccinated.

The thought of another Olympic delay is on Guem's mind, but for now, he's staying optimistic.

"It still worries me because the cases, it seems to be increasing, and the worry is always there, but I am sure that the Olympics will take place," said Guem, who wants to encourage other youths to channel their energy to developing South Sudan.

"I'm doing it for my country, not for myself. I want to bring peace in my country," said Guem.