Hosting Asian Games will 'wipe away' Japanese doubts, says top official

Doubts about public money being wasted on a few people running on a track for the benefit of those with their snouts in the trough deserve not to "wiped away". Their concerns are entirely valid.

A colossal waste of money on White Elephant projects and administration, all for a phony and fleeting sense of "prestige" (and for the billions in Corrupt Pork Projects, of course!)

I'd tell the Japanese to "just say no", but naturally, their "representatives" will do as they see fit, regardless.

Oh well, I'll pay about as much attention to the Asian Games in Japan as I did the ones that are about to finish in Hangzhou, China. Which is not at all.

The Tokyo Olympics were held due to the coronavirus pandemic, with almost no spectators in attendance. It is natural that there will be no audience.

It is an undeniable fact that the Olympic Games are becoming more and more expensive year by year, and are only held in some developed countries.

Suspicions surrounding the Olympics are a constant occurrence, and every country is incurring costs in the bidding war.

Whenever I read articles about success in China, I always have doubts about how successful it is in places that boast environmental issues and Ni Hao toilets.

I doubt there is much money in the Asian games, my wife and Japanese around me didn't even know it was going on and was wondering if I meant the Rugby world cup. The audience in China seems to mainly be filled with students to fill the arenas, not sure what China thinks they gain by hosting.

It's all circuses anyway. I respect the athletes a lot, but the organizers, it's just "money" tree for them.

Yipee... Please take my tax money and flush it down the drain.

Some commenters above doubt how successful the Hangzhou Asian Games was.

One has to put things into perspective. Asian Games are different to the Olympics.

Unlike the Olympics, public fanfare and excitement for the Asian Games is usually limited to only within the hosting country for the games.

With that in mind then, the Hangzhou Games was CLEARLY very very successful.

But you'll not know unless you were there on the ground (or followed the whole event closely on TV from the local media in China).

( As for that person who said they filled the stadiums with students : You've got to be joking!!! )

I'm just wondering if there's ever been an Olympics without bribery, bid-rigging and corruption scandals? I mean, they go hand in hand. That should have been known by the public and I can't see how any adult would be surprised unless they've been living with their head in the sand since birth.

But he believes holding a successful Asian Games will dispel any doubts.

….

The ‘doubts’ that tax-payer money will be wasted and that budgets won’t be kept to?

Trust has gone out the window….

By 2034, Sapporo might not have any snow. I suppose they can switch to rollerskates.

There is often an interesting story surrounding the granting of major events. Olympics. World Cups. Expos. It will become tougher in the future as Middle Eastern nations are flexing their wallets for this sort of thing.

"What the west calls “bribery” and “bid-rigging” is seen as just doing business in Japan and it will never change."

Exactly.

Will we beat the numbers of the Tokyo Olympics 2020?

By the digits

$13 billion: total cost of the Tokyo Olympics

$40 billion: losses Tokyo Olympics avoided by not canceling the game in July 2021, when they finally took place after a year-long delay, but with fewer athletes and no spectators

$22 billion: losses Tokyo Olympics footed for hosting the Games without fans

¥150 million ($1 billion): what Dentsu guaranteed in sponsorships

¥370 million ($2.5 billion): what Dentsu actually pulled in sponsorships

Bribery and bid-rigging allegations in the aftermath of the Tokyo Games have implicated major companies and seen several business figures convicted.

What the west calls “bribery” and “bid-rigging” is seen as just doing business in Japan and it will never change.

Many of my friends who attended the Tokyo Olympics as journalists were shocked by the fact that the general public were totally excluded from proceedings.

Of course,in totalitarian countries,this is the norm.

Therefore,the Sapporo bid is viable.