Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, on Thursday said the show would go on unless the pandemic stops most teams from traveling, even though 10,000 volunteers have quit largely over coronavirus fears.

"If various countries around the world experience very serious situations and delegations from most countries can't come, then we wouldn't be able to hold it," she told Nikkan Sports daily. "But conversely, unless such a situation emerges, the Games will not be canceled."

Public opinion polls in Japan have consistently shown that a majority want the Games cancelled or put off yet again after being delayed by one year because of the coronavirus crisis. A majority of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly feel the same way, the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported on Thursday.

The pandemic-delayed games are due to open on July 23.

On Wednesday, Japan's top coronavirus adviser Shigeru Omi also said it is "not normal" to host this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics amid the pandemic, media reports said. 

Towns and cities in the country lined up to host Olympic training or events have increasingly expressed resistance amid concern visitors will spread variant strains of the virus and drain medical resources.

Japan is battling a fourth wave of COVID-19 eight weeks out from the scheduled start of the Games, but the country's vaccine rollout has been slow and 10 regions including Tokyo are under a state of emergency until June 20.

While Japan has avoided the large-scale infections suffered by many other nations, severe cases are rising in the latest outbreak. More than 746,000 cases have been recorded and more than 13,000 deaths.

(With input from Reuters and AFP)