Poll shows strong support for Tokyo's 2020 Olympic bid

Sports Jan. 31, 2013 - 06:13AM JST ( 1 )

TOKYO —

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid committee on Wednesday announced that among the Tokyo population alone, nearly 10 million people, or 73% want the city to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to a recent poll.

The bid’s continuously growing public support is underpinned by Japan’s unmatched passion for sport and its desire to deliver a dynamic celebration in the world’s most forward-thinking city, the committee said in a statement.

The poll’s strong results corroborate a separate poll taken by the Yomiuri Shimbun on Jan 11 and Jan 13, which found that national support for Tokyo 2020 has risen to 78%. This independent poll also revealed that 83% of Japan’s citizens in their 20s and 30s support Tokyo 2020.

Tsunekazu Takeda, IOC member and president of both the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and Tokyo 2020, said: “We know public support was a challenge for us last time, and so we are delighted by this very strong result. It is especially significant that a large number of our passionate supporters are young people, showing that the future is bright for the Olympic movement in Japan. The Japanese are enthusiastic fans of sport and they love the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They also understand, as recent surveys indicate, that hosting the Games in Tokyo in 2020 would have long-term benefits for Japanese sport, society, the economy and the environment.”

The survey was conducted by phone. The 73% rate of support was up 26 points over a survey conducted by the IOC in May 2012. In the Tokyo 2020 survey, 15% had no opinion and only 12% were against the Bid.

Tokyo 2020 is receiving broad support in other sectors of Japanese society as well, including all levels of government. Newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Governor of Tokyo Naoki Inose have proclaimed their support, and the separate houses of Representatives and Councillors have passed a resolution supporting the Games and pledging all required government guarantees. In the private sector, corporate sponsorship for Tokyo 2020 continues to grow, with 16 major corporations having already come aboard as Official Bid Sponsors.