Tokyo to bid for 2020 Summer Games, Hiroshima might join: Ishihara

Monday 09th November, 03:14 PM JST

TOKYO —

Tokyo Gov Shintaro Ishihara said Monday the Japanese capital will bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games and should Tokyo be selected, it will jointly organize the event with Hiroshima, which is also seeking to host the event. The remarks follow Tokyo’s loss to Rio de Janeiro last month in the race to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Hiroshima said shortly after Tokyo’s loss that the western Japanese city will seek to host the 2020 Summer Games with Nagasaki, both of which suffered U.S. atomic bombings during World War II, despite the Olympic Charter stipulating that only one city can host the Olympics. On Monday, the Japanese Olympic Committee welcomed Ishihara’s remarks about a fresh bid by Tokyo, with Vice President Tomiaki Fukuda saying, ‘‘It is truly great.’‘

Another vice president, Masato Mizuno, said, ‘‘It has been common in recent years for a city to make several bids to host the Olympic Games. It is completely natural for Tokyo to make another bid.’’

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Latest 15 of 26 Total Comments Show All

Eyeblack at 05:09 PM JST - 9th November

I was hoping Cuba would get the Olympics.
some14some at 05:11 PM JST - 9th November

Gamba(ri,ru,re,ro)! No chance, he's well aware, just trying to catch Media attention.
Hikozaemon at 05:20 PM JST - 9th November

This is great news. I was worried that they hadn't managed to spend enough of my tax money on the failed 2016 bid.
stirfry at 05:21 PM JST - 9th November

might as well bid for anything and everything...after all, its not his money that's being wasted
northlondon at 05:55 PM JST - 9th November

Can somebody please tell him to shutup ! He hasn't even explained the shortfall on the last bid to the taxpayers !
minello7 at 08:27 PM JST - 9th November

His bid for the Olympics is to take away your attention from his failed bank.Has anyone added up how much money he has wasted for the people of Tokyo,and where has all that money gone? The people of Tokyo deserve better,someone like Hashimoto of Osaka, at least he is working for the people of Osaka.
DeepAir65 at 08:56 PM JST - 9th November

Forget the 2016 bid - the tax payers are still paing for the last time Tokyo hosted the Olympics...
Weasel at 10:09 PM JST - 9th November

It is completely natural for Tokyo to make another bid

Reads much like the compulsive gambler who sits tirelessly at a slot machine, hoping to hit the jackpot before they have spent all of the money they can get - only to watch the next customer hit the jackpot after they leave the machine.
smithinjapan at 01:27 PM JST - 10th November

HAHAHA! This is EXACTLY what I said would happen on the thread a few weeks back where Ishihara 'backed' a joint bid by Nagasaki-Hiroshima. So now he just steps on them and says they'll be considered as 'joint hosts' IF Tokyo gets selected?

The guy is completely off his rocker, and is clearly intent on once again wasting billions of yen in tax-payers' money. Unbelievable. I'm happy the JAPANESE Olympic Committee is all happy about it, and immediately defending the decision, but what does the IOC think? I have no doubt they are shaking their heads and saying, "Well... let's entertain them a little and not say no right away... I do love the free trips to Tokyo and the fresh sashimi at Tsukiji market!"

So whatever happened to Ishihara's, "If it is the will of the people, and I represent the people, then we will bid again."
timorborder at 02:38 PM JST - 10th November

How much money has this chap wasted through incompetence, bribery, etc. Instead of keeping his head inserted in that place where the sun does not shine, Ishihara needs to come clean on the money lost due to his foray into banking and the disastrous Olympic bid. Failing that, the best thing for all concerned would be for Blinky to cast off his mortal coil.

Just out of interest, although I don't think Hiroshima/Nagasaki has much of chance, I think it is safe to assume that both cities would be rather upset by Tokyo's intervention. Indeed, the governor's of both prefectures have probably had enough of Blinky and his minions at the annual Governors Conferences, where his imperial Blindness has been known to laud it over people from the boonies.
smithinjapan at 02:50 PM JST - 10th November

timorborder: Exactly what I was getting at with the Ishihara first backing the two cities, then stepping on them. He did the same thing with Fukuoka for the 2016 bid, and Tokyo lost miserably where I believe Fukuoka would have had a (slightly) better chance. Now it's going to turn into an internal bidding war, with everyone in Tokyo being against it but Ishihara, him setting his foot down again, and finally Tokyo winning the bid with all its money. And once again, Japan will suffer as a result.

I wonder if he'll talk about "children eating forests" and the need to tear them down again in his bid.
DXXJP at 04:33 PM JST - 10th November

What and ego, All this is is a halfassed attempt to save his ego and make some kid of a legacy for himself other than the legacy he truly owns. Its unacceptable for the Japanese IOC to allow this bigot to even consider another waisted attempt.

For what the last fiasco cost tokyo and the surrounding area they could have helped the out of work, homeless, and the working poor, but instead MR. ego still needs more.
Pump24 at 06:13 PM JST - 10th November

Tokyo may have a chance, if the other cities in competition are Detroit, Phnom Pehn, Guatemala City and Alice Springs...
smithinjapan at 07:02 PM JST - 11th November

Pump24: I think Phnom Pehn would have a better chance than Tokyo. :)
EurajReturns at 08:07 AM JST - 13th November

Hiroshima, I would hope. Since Tokyo has already had a successful bid.