Mayor of town in Miyagi bemoans lack of Olympic funds

Wow, imagine that!!

I can't believe that the Japanese government is just paying lip service to the 2020 Olympics actually helping Tohoku!

I mean, who would have imagined that they would use all of those billions of taxpayer dollars to pay for things in Tokyo and to funnel funds to their friends in the construction industry rather than actually helping those that could really use the help.

It is just not like the politicians at all!!

/sarc

We all knew this was going to happen and money wasn't going anywhere aside from Tokyo.

But what I don't get is why aren't any of those politicians in parliament who opposed Japan getting and spending billions on these Games not speaking up and making similar comments like these two mayors?

No one is using this opportunity nor the media to set themselves apart which would make themselves and their party more high profile for the next elections. There's a lot of disgust by the people about this to tap into here.

About 50,000 people are still displaced in the Tohoku region as of August, according to the Reconstruction Agency.

And even 1 BILLION out of the 20 being spent on the games could have made a HUGE difference in these people's lives.

Just goes to show where the priorities are here!

50,000 still homeless in one area 9 years on? But Tokyo events get ice making machines (who cost they won't release), painted roads...etc. If only there was an out cry.

wait a minute my Japanese wife is from Miyagi her parents died in the tsunami

2 years ago the Tokyo tax office charged me an extra few thousands yen ostensibly

to 'aid disaster victims' so they at least have my few thousand yen don't they

or was it more BS from the Japanese gov't?

I just mailed this to Miyagi Mayor Yutaka Kumagai

Dear Mayor Kumagai,

How do you do. 

I am US citizen a resident of Tokyo since the 1970's.

My Japanese wife is from Miyagi Prefecture.

Her parents perished, died during the tsunami. 

Their home and all their possessions were destroyed.

Two years ago while I was paying my taxes, national tax officials told me - 

I must pay an additional amount of a few thousands yen,

' for the reconstruction and victims of Tohoku.'

I told them ' my wife's my family is from Miyagi, her parents died during the tsunami, 

we are victims' why must I pay?

I was very skeptical but still had to pay.

In today's news, see article below, it says that Miyagi has not received any money from the Central Government for reconstruction.

Where is the money I paid for the reconstruction of Miyagi?

I suspect it is in the pockets of corrupt government officials.

I WANT A REFUND PLUS INTEREST.

But what I don't get is why aren't any of those politicians in parliament who opposed Japan getting and spending billions on these Games not speaking up and making similar comments like these two mayors?

Anybody openly against the olympics will be seen as being anti nationalistic given the olympics is a good opportunity to showcase the country that is ultra obsessed with how it is viewed abroad a chance show the world it's clean image.

The image of the country trumps the well being of the nationals, so everyone is required to gaman for the nation.

Predictable, yet still depressing.

The Olympics manual is supposed to be telephone-book thick. Updating a stadium for compliance and providing Olympics level security could be very expensive.

Looks like they will need to charge an extra admission fee for events in their area. For both spectators AND competitors!

Not enough people step forward so they get stepped on.

agreed , programmed young to comply and not complain, yet its the lack of protest and complaint by the Japanese which is why they continually get walked over by the government and big business. A harmonious society isnt always happy faces and roses that many think it is

Not enough people step forward so they get stepped on. Should be protesters along the flame route, but there won't be that either. Nothing will happen

The mayor of a town in northeastern Japan, that will host Olympic soccer matches, said that his town has received no funding, that was promised from the central government, for construction projects related to the Olympics.

They have not even paid in full for the initial stadium plans, let alone anything else.

I think that these Olympics will leave the taxpayer with a large debt. (That happened in 1976).

Yutaka Kumagai, the mayor of Rifu in Miyagi Prefecture, says his city has seen no funding from the central government.

It's not a city, it's a town, even the article says so!

The mayor of a town in northeastern Japan that will host Olympic soccer games

The mayor has not received funding from the central government, for the Olympic related construction.

The prefecture most certainly HAS received funding from the central government for reconstruction!

I took a trip up to Tohoku in August and noticed a lot of infrastructure construction going on. We took the Tohoku-chuo expressway from Yonezawa to Fukushima and it was FREE! and brand new. It is partially owned by the central government. Also, as we were headed north, either along the Joban or Ban-Etsu expressway, there was a convoy of a total of 100 dump trucks traveling south from Tohoku with the same green banner on the front. Someone is paying for whatever massive project it is and I doubt it is a private company. I'm not saying the mayor is lying, I just think that the central government is investing in infrastructure to help locals and businesses with logistics. Can you imagine how much folks are saving on Expressaway fees between Yamagata and Fukushima? That would normally be a ¥2000 yen trip one way. Of course the article speaks of Miyagi.

Yutaka Kumagai, the mayor of Rifu in Miyagi Prefecture, says his city has seen no funding from the central government.

Anyone surprised? TIJ. It was all victimhood until they got the bid, then they forgot the actual victims within the same second.