Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hailed this summer's Tokyo Games as a success, saying in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly that the host country "achieved what we set out to do" despite the pressures of a public that was divided over holding the event during the pandemic.
In a prerecorded video message shown on Friday, Suga also highlighted the importance of realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific amid challenges such as China's growing assertiveness in regional waters and North Korea's recent missile launches.
The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics went ahead following a one-year postponement amid surging COVID-19 cases in the capital, a move criticized by many as contradicting the government's request for people and businesses to comply with restrictions.