Bach,
who
spent
about
a
month
in
Japan
for
the
recently-completed
Olympics,
returned
the
day
before
Tuesday’s
Paralympic
opening
ceremony
and
then
departed
about
24
hours
later
after
attending
some
events
and
handing
out
medals
at
the
swimming
venue.
Organizers
said
he
followed
all
the
pandemic
protocols.
“President
Bach
was
here
at
our
invitation,”
International
Paralympic
Committee
spokesman
Craig
Spence
said
Thursday
(August
26).
“His
activity
plan
had
been
approved
by
the
Japanese
government.
The
IPC
and
the
IOC
have
a
very
close
working
relationship.
The
Paralympic
Games
wouldn’t
be
the
size
or
scale
that
it
is
today
if
it
wasn’t
for
the
support
that
we
get
(and)
for
the
relationship
we
have
with
the
IOC.”
Bach
was
photographed
walking
around
the
famous
Ginza
shopping
area
after
the
Olympics
ended.
He
was
wearing
a
mask,
but
Japanese
media
questioned
why
he
was
touring
the
city
when
athletes
were
told
not
to.
“Right
now,
the
government
is
requesting
people
to
telework
and
(Bach)
is
coming
back
just
for
that,”
Dr.
Shigeru
Omi,
a
medial
adviser
for
the
government,
said
this
week.
“When
the
government
is
making
those
requests
to
the
people,
why
is
the
Olympic
leader,
President
Bach,
coming
all
the
way
to
Tokyo?”
Omi
asked.
“Anyone
with
normal,
common
sense
should
be
able
to
think
that
he
has
already
come
once
and
even
visited
Ginza.”
Bach
did
not
return
to
Rio
de
Janeiro
to
attend
the
2016
Paralympic
opening
ceremony.
He
said
he
missed
the
ceremony
to
attend
the
funeral
of
former
West
Germany
president
Walter
Scheel.
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