Singer Chage joins Tokyo Olympic citizens' movement

Chage, a member of popular duo Chage and Aska, has announced his involvement in a citizen-based campaign for Tokyo's 2016 Olympic bid, “Yes!Japan.” He joins several other celebrities and athletes who are participating in the campaign.

Chage said, “When I was a child in the 1960s, I thought people who supported the Tokyo Olympics were so cool. I would like to see the Olympics in Tokyo again with my kid in places like Nippon Budokan which I always use for my concerts.”

Chage announced in January that he and Aska would suspend their music activities. Some tabloid media reported that the reason was differing opinions on their musical direction.

Chage said, “I am surprised to hear such news about us from unconfirmed sources. I will ask Aska to join the Olympic campaign and make a public appeal at his own concerts, too.”

Chage also joked in reference to the duo’s popular song “Say Yes” that “If you like, you can say to your friends, ‘Say Yes!Japan.’”

The Yes!Japan campaign aims to push up the current 70.2% public support for Tokyo's Olympic bid to 80%. The campaign is volunteer-based and independent from the official Tokyo Olympic Bid Committee, according to the organizers.

Freelance announcer Keiko Yashio, former baseball player and Tokyo Olympic Bid Ambassador Atsuya Furuta, Paralympic gold medal swimmer Mayumi Narita and Kundo Koyama, who wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-winning film “Okuribito” (Departures), are also supporters of the campaign.

© Japan Today