The COVID-19 outbreak and public perceptions of sport events in Japan

The pandemic of the COVID-19 has forced various sport organizations to postpone or cancel sport events. The current investigation provides a rapid analysis of public perceptions of (1) postponement and cancelation decisions made by sport organizations, and (2) whether the Tokyo Olympics 2020 should be held in July 2020. Data from Japanese citizens (n = 529) show that approximately 75% supported postponement decisions made by professional sport leagues. Surprisingly, only fewer than 50% supported the cancelation decision of the high school baseball tournament (i.e., Spring Koshien). Regarding the Tokyo Olympics, 35.2% disagreed with holding the games, which was almost identical to those who were in favour of holding it (35.3%). The government and decision-makers should recognize the potential biases in public opinions and prioritize the scientific evidence to protect the health of the community. (Note: The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics 2020 was postponed after the completion of this study).

Exploring the effects of COVID-19 on motorcycle riding patterns and its importance.

A motorcycle refers to a two-wheeled, personal mobility vehicle used for daily transportation and leisure activities. Leisure enables social interaction, and motorcycle riding could be an activity that facilitates social interactions and distancing. Therefore, grasping the importance of riding motorcycles during the pandemic-which involved social distancing and limited leisure activities-can be valuable. However, researchers have yet to examine its potential importance during the pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the importance of personal space and time spent with others in the context of motorcycle riding during the COVID-19 pandemic. We specifically explored the effects of COVID-19 on riding patterns and importance of riding motorcycle by examining whether these factors differed regarding changes in the frequency of motorcycle riding before and during the pandemic in daily and leisure-oriented transportation. Data were collected from 1,800 motorcycle users in Japan using a web-based survey conducted in November 2021. Respondents replied to questions concerning the importance of personal space and time spent with others attributed to motorcycle riding before and during the pandemic. Following the survey, we conducted a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (two-factor ANOVA) and performed a simple main effect analysis using the SPSS syntax editor in case of interactions. The valid samples for motorcyclists with leisure motive (leisure-oriented users) and daily transportation motive (daily users) numbered n = 890 and n = 870, respectively (total n = 1,760, 95.5%). Each valid sample was divided into three groups based on the differences in motorcycle riding frequency before and during the pandemic: unchanged, increased frequency, and decreased frequency. The two-factor ANOVA results showed significant differences in the interaction effects for leisure-oriented and daily users regarding personal space and time spent with others. The mean value of the "increased frequency" group during the pandemic indicated significantly higher importance of personal space and time spent with others than the other groups. Motorcycle riding could enable daily transportation and leisure-oriented users to practice social distancing while simultaneously spending time with companions and alleviating loneliness and isolation during the pandemic.

Exploring the effects of COVID-19 on motorcycle riding patterns and its importance

A motorcycle refers to a two-wheeled, personal mobility vehicle used for daily transportation and leisure activities. Leisure enables social interaction, and motorcycle riding could be an activity that facilitates social interactions and distancing. Therefore, grasping the importance of riding motorcycles during the pandemic—which involved social distancing and limited leisure activities—can be valuable. However, researchers have yet to examine its potential importance during the pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the importance of personal space and time spent with others in the context of motorcycle riding during the COVID-19 pandemic. We specifically explored the effects of COVID-19 on riding patterns and importance of riding motorcycle by examining whether these factors differed regarding changes in the frequency of motorcycle riding before and during the pandemic in daily and leisure-oriented transportation. Data were collected from 1,800 motorcycle users in Japan using a web-based survey conducted in November 2021. Respondents replied to questions concerning the importance of personal space and time spent with others attributed to motorcycle riding before and during the pandemic. Following the survey, we conducted a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (two-factor ANOVA) and performed a simple main effect analysis using the SPSS syntax editor in case of interactions. The valid samples for motorcyclists with leisure motive (leisure-oriented users) and daily transportation motive (daily users) numbered n = 890 and n = 870, respectively (total n = 1,760, 95.5%). Each valid sample was divided into three groups based on the differences in motorcycle riding frequency before and during the pandemic: unchanged, increased frequency, and decreased frequency. The two-factor ANOVA results showed significant differences in the interaction effects for leisure-oriented and daily users regarding personal space and time spent with others. The mean value of the "increased frequency” group during the pandemic indicated significantly higher importance of personal space and time spent with others than the other groups. Motorcycle riding could enable daily transportation and leisure-oriented users to practice social distancing while simultaneously spending time with companions and alleviating loneliness and isolation during the pandemic.