Japan's 'Dr Fauci' damps Olympic mood with call to ban spectators

In Japan's political culture, Shigeru Omi's public questioning of the official position is unusual.

While Shigeru Omi may invite comparisons to Anthony Fauci, Japan’s top Covid-19 adviser has shown little of his American counterpart’s flair for challenging politicians. That is, until he started suggesting banning spectators from the Tokyo Olympics.
 

Omi, the government’s top adviser on Covid-19, is a mild-mannered 72-year-old public health expert often seen by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s side. But his concern over plans reported in the media to allow domestic spectators seems to have prompted him to question the government’s push to maintain fans at the Olympics.

Any tensions between Omi and Suga could be on display Thursday, when the