The 65-year-old's comments come on the back of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) saying yesterday it will reach a final decision on Tokyo 2020 in four weeks, with postponement of the Games set to be assessed.

"If I'm asked whether we can hold the Olympics at this point in time, I would have to say that the world is not in such a condition," Abe told a parliamentary session, as reported by Kyodo News.

Abe, who previously stated he had "secured support to hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in their complete form", said he hopes to hold talks with IOC President Thomas Bach over the issue.

"If it is difficult to hold the Games in such a way, we have to decide to postpone it, giving top priority to (the health of the) athletes," he told the parliamentary session.

"Although the IOC will make the final decision, we are of the same view that cancellation is not an option."

The time frame provided by the IOC follows mounting pressure from athletes and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) over the fate of the Games, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"I think many of them (the athletes) are in areas where they cannot train properly as the new coronavirus is spreading in the world," Abe added.

Kyodo News reported that the Japanese Government would tell the IOC they would "accept" a postponement of the Games.

Bach has repeatedly insisted the IOC is following the advice of experts, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), to ensure the health of athletes.

Lawrence Gostin, head of the WHO's center on global health law, told The Wall Street Journal that Tokyo 2020 should not go ahead as planned.

"No-one could say with any degree of confidence that the situation globally will be better," he said.

"Even if you're on the downturn in Asia and Japan, it would be on the upswing in many parts of the world.

"I could see the US and Canada near peaking, and possibly in Mexico.

"I could see the curve of the pandemic on the way up in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.

"Since this is a global event, it would be the height of folly to consider going forward, and that's if the borders opened, travel restrictions lifted and the airlines started flying."

The four-week window set out by the IOC is expected to allow both itself and Tokyo 2020 the chance to study different options regarding a postponement.

The IOC said the scenarios will involve modifying existing operational plans, which would allow the go ahead on July 24. 

Changes to the start date of the Games will also be considered, but the IOC repeated cancellation of the Games "is not on the agenda".

Tokyo 2020 President Yoshirō Mori expressed his support for the IOC's decision to review existing operational plans.

He said handling the costs of delaying and the availability of venues were among some of the challenges organisers will face if the Games are postponed.

"Japan is in a critical state, and the situations in the United States and Europe have been abnormal," Mori was reported as saying by Kyodo News. 

"We are not so foolish as to say we will do it under our first (plan)."

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, meanwhile, told reporters she shares the IOC's view that Tokyo 2020 will not be cancelled.

"There are lots of issues, but I would like to discuss possible scenarios over the next four weeks with the IOC and the Organising Committee," she said. 

"The Tokyo Games now have another goal, to defeat the novel coronavirus."

Canada have said they will not compete at the Olympics and Paralympics should they be held this year, while other nations are also planning for a one-year postponement of Tokyo 2020.

An announcement today from the Australian Olympic Committee told their athletes to prepare for a Games in 2021 as a team for this year "could not be assembled".

The US, Great Britain, New Zealand and The Netherlands are among other NOCs who have already addressed their athletes during a time of unique crisis for the Olympic Movement.

Abe also said today that Japan will ask travellers arriving from the US to self-quarantine for 14 days to contain the spread of coronavirus.

As reported by Kyodo News, travellers will be required to isolate themselves in places such as their homes or hotels and avoid using public transportation as part of a measure that will be effective from Thursday (March 26) through to the end of April.

More than 335,000 coronavirus cases have been reported worldwide since the outbreak began, with more than 14,500 deaths confirmed.

Ricardo Fort, the head of global sponsorship at Coca-Cola, the IOC's oldest supporter, said: "The IOC is taking the right steps to proper evaluate their options. 

"Whatever decision they make, it will be based on facts (and not on the pressure of any one Federation in any one country, no matter the Federation or the country)."