Island dispute may cast shadow over Tokyo's Olympic bid

Ishihara is the only person that wants the Olympics anyway, and he is the imbecile who caused all this commotion so sounds good to me.

London got the 2012 games despite the UK's long-standing disagreements...

If London's mayor announced shortly before the bid for the Games that he and his mates were going to buy a bunch of uninhabited rocks off the coast of France or Spain or Ireland, you would have a point.

But as sizable communities of British subjects have long been inhabiting those places you mentioned and since Boris Johnson isn't as stupid, aggressive or racist as Shintaro Ishihara, you don't have a point.

hahaha I love it, both are brain childs of ishihara! I love it, he shot himself in the foot! This made my day!

This is perhaps the best news to come out of this insane struggle! While I do feel that Japan owns the islands, and China is being ultra aggressive, there is no need for what has been going on in china, with attacks on Japanese shops and factories, even tourists targeted. Now you have LDP wannabe leaders crying how they will defend the sovereignty of Japan. Let this be a good lesson to Ishihara, let sleeping dogs lie.

Good news! Only Ishihara & co want the Olympics to Tokyo. I hate the public money being wasted on this crazy campaign initiated by Ishihara. After those days of anti-Japan terrorism, I am relieved to find that there is still something I can thank China for.

Would serve Ishihara right not to get the Olympics. I know a lot of Japanese (and especially Tokyoites) who would be relieved not to get the Tokyo bid as it would be a taxing blow to the economy. All of my Japanese friends said they would hate to have the Olympics since it just wouldn't work. Many gave varying reasons such as "too hot in summer", "hate to have tax payers' money wasted on this when it could go towards other things like clean energy, education, etc.", "hatred of anything that Ishihara stands for especially after wasting money on the Shin Ginko and Oedo line projects".

Kiss it good bye. You ain't getting it, without support from your neighboring countries that you are attacking.

What goes around comes around, Ishihara!

hahaha I love it, both are brain childs of ishihara! I love it, he shot himself in the foot! This made my day!

Yes, yes, yes. That's what happens when you make waves outside of Japan, Ishihara. You let outsiders see what an idiot you are. Let's see if they want to award you the Olympics now...

[Strange then that London got the 2012 games despite the UK's long-standing disagreements with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, Spain over Gibraltar, Ireland over Northern Ireland}.

Yes, so strange that only Tokyo governor is different from those Governors of UK's, Spain and Irland. So strangeeee.......

Strange then that London got the 2012 games despite the UK's long-standing disagreements with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, Spain over Gibraltar, Ireland over Northern Ireland...

since Boris Johnson isn't as stupid

The mayor in 2005 was Ken Livingstone, not Boris Johnson, actually. But I'd agree that probably neither are as unwise as Ishihara.

Wow. Talk about hitting a new low, using politics to rob Tokyo from their bid. Stay classy China.

Wow, talk about someone missing all of Ishihara;s anti-foreigner rants and now accusing someone of being anti-Japanese because the big spoiled baby might not get his way, Again.

Some should translat Ishihara's comments thus far about foreigners in japan, and other countries and compile a list to show how much he values international goodwill.

He's not exactly a citizen of the world..

2-5 years from now, Ishihara will push the Olympic bid again !!!!!! Wasting money is Ishihara's hobby !!!! To him it's a past time activity.

I don't know why. It doesn't make any sense. He hates foreigners and doesn't want any of them in Japan, yet his pet project is an event that will mean thousands of foreigners descending on Tokyo.

Why would Japan deserve to host the Olympics to the world when they have clearly not abandoned their imperial past? The reason why Korea and China are so upset about these islands are not so much about the islands themselves, but more because of how Japan's attempt to claim the islands brings back the horrific memories of their imperial past. Japan needs to man up., take a step back and relinquish the islands. Otherwise, they will be negatively impacted in every way. The Olympic bid is just one example where Japan will suffer

""hate to have tax payers' money wasted on this when it could go towards other things like clean energy, education,"

or fighting a war over Senkaku...

2-5 years from now, Ishihara will push the Olympic bid again !!!!!! Wasting money is Ishihara's hobby !!!! To him it's a past time activity.

The Olympics are a massive waste of money. The current UK govt has made cuts to the armed forces and the police force, raised university fees astronomically and is now forcing pensioners to part with their money after paying all their lives into the system, yet the country could waste plenty of money on this silly event, not to mention the Paralympics.

What happens if there is a natural disaster around Tokyo when the games are on?

Strange then that London got the 2012 games despite the UK's long-standing disagreements with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, Spain over Gibraltar, Ireland over Northern Ireland...

Spain has bases in N. Africa, so they can't really complain; NI have voted to remain British and the Falklands I don't know too much about as far as claims are concerned. This silly row over a couple of rocks is getting blown way out of proportion.

Wow. Talk about hitting a new low, using politics to rob Tokyo from their bid. Stay classy China.

Berlin 1936 African boycott in 1976, Moscow boycott in 1980 after Afghanistan invasion. 1984 soviet boycott of LA games. You are naive if you think politics isn't involved in the olympics.

Ishihara is reaping what he sowed.

Olympics can take a hike if they are so political. So when is sports political?

Tokyo isn't getting it because of China. They will make sure all the African votes do not vote for Japan. As you know, China has a huge economic influence over Africa, and they will bribe them and any other third world alliance that can be bought out. Also, Korea won't vote for Japan, especially after what Japan PM Noda said, that there are no war criminals at Yasukuni, and what the Osaka mayor said, that all the comfort women were prostitutes who sold themselves. We know that these are what most Japanese believe, but unlike in the past, Japan's politicians are finally coming clean about what they really believe in, instead of pretending to be good guys.

"You ain't getting it, without support from your neighboring countries that you are attacking"

....that doesn't explain why China got it then ..they have quite an attacking record, dismal human rights, government record; it was much criticized but hoped that they would improve.

Also in this whole dispute 99% of the news reports are coming from China ...as not much is happening in Japan, no riots or violent attacking.

China's much more interesting to report from due to the way people behave (or don't).

Just goes to show how clueless and narrow-minded the old cuss is. Foe someone who wants the Olympics so badly, one might think Ishihara would have asked himself; "If I uselessly re-ignite tensions with China, will it help my Olympic bid?"

Whats the opposite of Machiavellian?

Wow. Talk about hitting a new low, using politics to rob Tokyo from their bid. Stay classy China.

Strange then that London got the 2012 games despite the UK's long-standing disagreements with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, Spain over Gibraltar, Ireland over Northern Ireland...

Argentina have never administered the Falklands and the only time its ever been under Argentine control was the period of time that they invaded. While the people there want to remain British, so its not even worth comparing the Falklands to the Senkaku dispute.

Olympics can take hike if they are so political.

Errar, what's bribery for, if not to be used in times like this?

No Olympics? that's fine, only old man Ishihara wanted it anyway.

and Japan bowing to Chinese sentiment? don't even imagine it. Our American overlords are difficult to please at it is, we don't need another suzerain.

Our ancestors made the tough choice of rejecting Chinese suzerainty and trade for our independence. There is no reason why we shouldn't, unless you have allegiances elsewhere.

For Tokyo to lose the chances of a bid for the 2020 Olympics would be very disappointing. Particularly for all the hard-working triathletes and long distance swimmers Ishihara ad naseum sent to the Senkakus in recent months. That is the reason swimmers were over there, wasn't it?

Kiss it good bye. You ain't getting it, without support from your neighboring countries that you are attacking.

Tokyo will get the Olympics. Italy was the only real rival and they have pulled out. I doubt it will be going to Baku. And frankly, I think there is a lot more to worry about in Japan, what with radiation and the threat of natural disasters looming yet these issues seem to be going ignored in the world media. So Japan will get the games.

I don't worry about Olympic. To protect Japanese Sovereignty is most important than Olympic. What the hell Japanese peoples to do with Olympic when country was invasion by Communist Chinese? The world can see how Communist Chinese Leaders have dirty mind. They got to be shame if they were normal human being. They don't know they were laughing stock because they were blind and deaf by power. They use dirty trick on business Companies. They bully their small neighbor countries. They oppress on it own peoples. Communist leaders though they are now unsinkable another Titanic but wait and see no one can stay forever at the top.