Fukushima wants to host Olympic events in 2020

This would be a deranged idea even if they werent still dumping tones of radiation into the Pacific Ocean every day. Maybe one of the governors Tepco buddies has an Olympic official on the payroll

Wouldn't do it.

I was hoping this article was among the satirical news, but no, so think about if for a second. If you live in Fukushima and just like Gov. Uchibori wants everybody to see how much Fukushima is doing better now and maybe change the public opinion, yes you want to have some part in the Olympics. One thing you don't want though is to force athletes into a place that they do not wish to be in. One of the worst PR you can have is some famous athlete telling the world he does not want to participate because of the exposure to Fukushima.

Here we go again! The "let's have people come to the area deemed most affected by the nuclear fall-out and eat its food to PROVE it's safe!" illogic. Now, on the one hand I think areas of Tohoku SHOULD get some of the Games given that Tokyo milked the disasters for all they could to get them, but pushing for venues in areas that are still questionable in terms of safety due to a plant very much NOT in control would only create more problems than it's worth and throw the Games into question as some shied away from going there.

Give it to them. Abe said that it's safe, so give it to them and let the world see how many teams actually go up there to participate.

It's genius: it casts the Fukushima debacle directly into its antithesis.

“We need to set a goal so that we can show how much Fukushima has recovered,

Start first by forcing TEPCO to open the site to international expertise.

Yeah , why not.... Let's hold the swimming events in those makeshift leaky pools they have up there.

Why not? Prime Minister Abe has guaranteed to the whole world that everything will be OK in Fukushima by 2020. "F One" will likely be on the Unesco World Heritage List and attracting busloads of foreign tourists in 2020.

I wonder if they are familiar with the term half-life?

If you consider the trust in government factor, I have to think that foreign spectators would vastly outnumber native Japanese.

Yeah I guess the residents of Fukushima also had a vote in it, especially the ones that had to relocate and/or are living in temporary housing.

thats bloody mad

simple answer . NO !!!

Well, a lot of unwarranted prejudice here from a lot of commenters.

If you look at the background radiation maps after the accident, you can find increases in parts of Yamagata, Miyagi, Fukushima, Tochigi, Ibaragi, Chiba, and Gunma.

So singling out Fukushima for criticism is pretty stupid. Yes, there are parts of the prefecture which are currently unsuitable for long-term habitation, and the converse is true too: there are parts which are eminently suitable.

Great idea... but first move the TEPCO HQ, Tokyo government offices and the Emperor's Palace to Fukushima first.

If they do that... then there might be a chance that people/teams will show up to compete.

“The Olympics is meant to show to the world the Tohoku region’s reconstruction. We want to cooperate as much as possible,” he said.

yes, distribute Gold medals to all participants and visitors as well :(

Fully recovered? How about using that money to the people still living in the "temporary" homes?

Plus it aint gonna happen, the IOC has to approve it and they wont... the Olympic big was a complete farse, all these changes after winning, it was complete BS just to win the bid.

Fukushima is keen to show it has fully recovered from the 2011 nuclear disaster by hosting some events for the 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo.

This statement is a complete farce, fukushima is nowhere near fully recovered.

I guess when you have your head completely buried in the sand that from there it looks completely recovered.

It might not be too bad. Here's a radiation map, where exactly are they planning to put the venues?

http://jciv.iidj.net/map/

Not a bad idea, really - at least that way there's a chance there will be a better chance of hiring a construction firm to rebuild the house you lost three years ago if not ALL the tasty building contracts are in Tokyo.

If there are Olympic events in the Tohoku area, perhaps the government will be shamed into following up on the reconstruction he so shamelessly milked as a reason Japan should host this white elephant.

Hey! Maybe Chernobyl in Russia should bid for the Olympics. This is just stupid regardless of what assurances the PM has made. Just take a look at the current situation in Fukushima, going on four years and TEPCO still has their head stuck up their butts! Never happen!!

In Theory: "Why Not"?

The Prefecture of Fukushima is huge and many Places have normal Amounts of Radioactivity, Visitors and Olympians cant get any harm of it.

The Flight NY-NAR-NY gives you a Dosage like ca. 60 Days in Fukushima-Ku

But my Concern is that Fukushima need more than just a few Soccer Games, they need a Long Term Project!

Always figured a marathon course starting in Fukushima heading south would result in a world record ( or several).

If there are Olympic events in Fukushima perhaps the government will actually start restoring places like HaraldBloodAxe suggests. A clever ploy by the governor to wrest some funds away from the LDP... I mean, Abe. Er, the national government. Yeah, that's the ticket.

I wonder if they are familiar with the term half-life?

Obviously not ^^

Bwahahahahahahahahaaaaa! Madness!!

Good idea but chances are pretty bleak!

I have to say I like the place. I go up to Goshikinuma in the fall every year and it's very nice country. That said, I can see how this would not go over well with most of the rest of the world.

I worked in Fukushima prefecture for a year after the disaster, including business trips to Soma city, Fukushima city, Date city, Nihonmatsu, and Tanagura. So far, I seem to be okay. I say let's go for this Olympic thing! And to the comment that reads:

Start first by forcing TEPCO to open the site to international expertise

You did know they asked for help last year, right? (http://www.ibtimes.com/fukushima-radiation-now-global-disaster-japan-finally-asks-world-help-two-years-too-late-1416058)

And that you can actually watch Fukushima Daiichi live on Youtube, right? (https://www.youtube.com/user/fuku1live)

Come on, guys, sarcasm isn't going to help anything! If you have something constructive to say then say it, but don't beat up on Fukushima for wanting to get back on its feet...

Well, the live broadcasts of Fukushima Daiichi do not show the radiation levels in the air or water, which of course we can't see.

Of course we can't fault Fukushima for wanting to recover, but to do it with such a ridiculous statement is not going to help! F* needs REAL help, and the people there need to make real, long term changes. It would also help if the displaced people were placed somewhere reasonable and sustainable. At this point, I say bring them all to Tokyo or Nagoya to start new lives as their former locations are on the Half Life watch and Tsunami watch.

The only event that should happen there is when they run the torch through there like they will elsewhere in the country. Tokyo is too far from there anyways.

It is a terrible idea that would send the wrong message, as the Fukushima area will not be "fully recovered" for many hundreds of years, if ever.

The Olympics were sold on being held in a small area of Tokyo. Fukushima is by no means close to Tokyo.

sarcasm isn't going to help anything!

This is not sarcasm, this is common sense.

you can actually watch Fukushima Daiichi live on Youtube, right?

Are you serious ? that is very far from what I will call an "international expertise on the site". The day TEPCO will open the site for a real expertise with real studies on the fallout and food/water contamination by international experts (not affiliated to the International Atomic Energy Agency with a Japanese at the head promoting the nuclear business) and that those experts will announce that the disaster is finally over then I shall reconsider my position on the Fukushima candidate.

More construction contracts for the Yaks, kickbacks for the pollies... where have I seen this before?

what wrong with a three legged race in the 100m??? we had them at school!

Tell 'em they're dreamin'