All national dailies reported extensively on the agreement reached between Prime Minister Abe and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Bach during a teleconference on Tuesday to postpone this summer’s Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games for about one year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Following the teleconference, the IOC’s board officially approved the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, which were scheduled to begin on July 24, and the Paralympics, which were scheduled to start on Aug. 25. This is the first time in the modern era for the Olympics to be postponed, although they have been canceled twice because of war.

Prime Minister Abe told reporters after his phone conversation with Bach that he and the IOC chief agreed to hold the Tokyo Games in the summer of 2021 at the latest. Tokyo Governor Koike, who was present during the 45-minute teleconference along with Tokyo Organizing Committee President Mori, Olympic Minister Hashimoto, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga, separately told reporters that the Games will continue to be called “Tokyo 2020.”

Yomiuri and Nikkei added that the governments of the United States and Japan are making arrangements for President Trump and Prime Minister Abe to hold a teleconference today in response to the IOC’s decision to postpone the Tokyo Games until 2021. The papers added that Abe also plans to participate in a videoconference of the leaders of the G20 nations to be held on the evening of March 26 (Japan time).