My San Antonio (10/30/20) Wade, Stephen

Residents of Japan who bought tickets for the delayed Tokyo Olympics have been guaranteed refunds from the local organizing committee, while those who purchased outside Japan through Authorized Ticket Resellers are excluded. Fans in Japan who already know they cannot use their tickets can receive refunds by applying online in Nov. 10-30, while the Paralympic period is Dec. 1-21. Organizers added that refunds would be made if limited seating were available at venues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "As the host there is a possibility that we may not be able to provide spectating opportunities to a part of the ticket holders," stated Tokyo 2020 spokesman Masa Takaya. "In that case we will provide a refund." Organizers and the International Olympic Committee said they plan to open the games on July 23, 2021, but details so far are lacking about how this can take place. "You're going to have to be comfortable being uncomfortable for the next six to nine months because there is no certainty in terms of what will happen," said TicketManager COO Ken Hanscom. Organizers said 4.48 million Olympic tickets have been sold in Japan, with 970,000 tickets for the Paralympics, while 7.8 million Olympic tickets had been available overall. The organizing committee's Hidenori Suzuki suggested that 10-20% of the overall tickets were sold outside Japan, which could mean anything from 780,000 to 1.56 million.

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