"If it seems impossible to do it any more, then we have
to stop, decisively," Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of the Liberal
Democratic Party, said in comments to broadcaster TBS.
Cancellation is "of course" an option, Nikai said.
"If the Olympics were to spread infection, then what are the Olympics
for?" he added.
A key backer of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, party
heavyweight Nikai is known for his frank comments, which come as many other
ruling party lawmakers have avoided discussing the hot button issue of a
possible cancellation.
The world's biggest sporting event has already been delayed
by a year and is being held without international spectators.
Japan is grappling with rising coronavirus infections, with
numbers trending higher in Tokyo after the government ended a state of
emergency, and Osaka suffering a record number of cases.
The government is pushing ahead with preparations
incorporating social distancing measures and other restrictions for the Games
set to begin on July 23, with a scaled back torch relay underway.
"We'll hold [the Games] in a way that's feasible,"
Taro Kono, a popular minister in charge of Japan's vaccination drive, said on a
separate TV programme, according to Kyodo News. "That may be without
spectators," he added.
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