Resident perceptions of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: An examination of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

This article examines Japanese residents' perceptions of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. A nationwide survey measured attitudes towards the Games and perceptions of subjective well-being, comparing pre- and post-event evaluations to examine the impact of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Surprisingly, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated that perceptions on many items about community benefits significantly increased, while many concerns about quality-of-life and COVID-19 significantly decreased. The study found that, overall, attitudes towards the Olympics became more favourable despite the impact of the pandemic. The epidemic control strategy which isolated athletes from host residents and prioritised public health is discussed as a legacy for sustainable mega sport events. • Pre- and post-Games survey were conducted across Japan, host country of the 2020 Olympic Games. • Residents' perceptions about community benefits significantly increased. • Residents’ concerns about negative impacts on quality-of-life and the spread of COVID-19 significantly decreased. • The Olympics changed host residents’ perceptions of well-being from negative to positive even amid the pandemic. • The epidemic control strategy is considered to be a legacy for sustainable mega sport events.