Japan says Olympic preparations underway as planned

No change to Japan's Olympic preparations

SHOWS: TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 4, 2020) (TV TOKYO - Broadcasters: NO USE JAPAN/ MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "TV TOKYO" WHEN VIDEO IS USED ON CABLE, COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE IN JAPAN BY CNN, CNNI, BBC WORLD, NBC & CNBC, Digital: NO USE JAPANESE WEBSITES 1.

JAPANESE CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY, YOSHIHIDE SUGA WAKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE 2.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY, YOSHIHIDE SUGA SAYING: "The government will closely cooperate with the IOC, Olympic Committee, and the Tokyo office to continue preparations to host the Games." 3.

NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS 4.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY, YOSHIHIDE SUGA SAYING: "The Cabinet Secretariat and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics Organising Committee have been taking part in the task force meeting to explain about the government's measures for the new coronavirus, as requested by the IOC and the Olympic Committee.

We will continue to actively take part in the task force to offer new information and measures by the government." TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE - DECEMBER 15, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 5.

STRUCTURE OF NATIONAL STADIUM 6.

OLYMPIC RINGS OUTSIDE NATIONAL STADIUM 7.

NATIONAL STADIUM 8.

INTERIOR OF NATIONAL STADIUM STORY: Japan is preparing to host the Tokyo Summer Olympics as planned, the government's top spokesman said on Wednesday (March 4), amid speculation the Games could be postponed because of the coronavirus threat.

Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, made the comment at a regular news conference.

"The government will closely cooperate with the IOC, Olympic Committee, and the Tokyo office to continue preparations to host the Games," he said.

Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto had said on Tuesday (March 3) that Tokyo's contract with the International Olympic Committee "could be interpreted as allowing a postponement" until the end of the year, although she reiterated that the government remained committed to the Games starting on July 24.

(Production: Akira Tomoshige, Akiko Okamoto)