Ghostly airports, devoid of bustle. Cavernous arenas where no crowds will roar. Stringent rules that are spottily enforced — and spottily ignored. Complaints over restrictions, including comparisons to Nazi Germany. Worries about outsiders causing superspreader events. And a general unease that life as we know it is upside down.

The coronavirus pandemic that interrupted the world and is digging in its heels once again in Asia? Or the seriously peculiar Olympic Games that are about to happen in its midst? Both, actually. The Olympics are often billed, enthusiastically and with no small amount of self-interest, as a slice of the globalized 21st-century world in miniature – humanity’s very best on display. But for these weeks in Tokyo, the entire affair instead feels more like an industrial-strength clip reel of humanity’s last 18 months.

Like so many Olympics, the Games reflect the world. This time, it’s a microcosm of the pandemic with all its challenges and fears, all of its irritations and surreal landscapes, jammed into a single metropolitan area during a brief moment in history eyed warily by a COVID-wearied civilization.

Naohisa Takato and Funa Tonaki both can make their nation proud by claiming Japan’s first gold medals of these games. The Japanese media has focused heavily on Saturday’s opening-day judokas under the assumption strong showings might sway citizens into supporting the Olympic Games.

The U.S. women’s new-look beach volleyball team hits the sand Saturday night. Keri Walsh Jennings failed to qualify for her fifth Olympics — she won gold with partner Misty May-Treanor in 2004, 2008 and 2012. Walsh Jennings teamed with April Ross in 2016 to win bronze, but it is Ross’ show now. Ross is now partnered with Alix Klineman.

—Associated Press

THE QUOTE

“The Olympic movement is living in the middle of society, and we are not living in a tranquil world. We are living in a very fragile world, and therefore we have to react to this.”

— Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee

HOW TO WATCH

NBC and its affiliate cable networks and streaming channels will air more than 7,000 hours of Olympic coverage out of Japan, some live, some tape delayed. You’ll be able to find coverage of 34 different sports competitions on NBC, CNBC, Golf Channel, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Network, Telemundo and USA on cable. Online, there will be streaming options on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and NBCSports.com.