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Tokyo Olympics plans stumble on stadium fiasco, logo fuss

13 Comments
By ELAINE KURTENBACH

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13 Comments
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Some say the embarrassments show Japan has yet to adapt its idiosyncratic, opaque ways of decision-making and planning to 21st century expectations for transparency and accountability.

There will be nowhere to hide this time boys - you wanted a global show and you got it.... you can control the domestic media but you cant control overseas media...

7 ( +7 / -0 )

This is totally embarrassing for Japan. On the other hand, if Japan cannot get something like the stadium and logo right, there is little concern that Japan could become a military threat to Asia due to Abe's nationalistic reforming of Japan. We are good at autos and electronics. That is all.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The city rushed to finish its shinkansen “bullet train,” the world’s first.

The world's first what? There were fast trains before the shinkansen.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The Olympics were supposed to "showcase an economic revival". Instead they may come to symbolise the fanciful dreams of Japan being great again, just by imagining it.

Perhaps one can hope that at least a gargantuan Olympic failure would trigger a thorough self-examination, and ultimately serve as the massive kick in the pants that this government and the voters need to get the house in order.

I'm looking for positives here.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Just cancel it. The Olympics are a scam that are no good for any host city. Back out while we still can.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Japan’s ambitions for a trouble-free 2020 Tokyo Olympics to showcase the country’s economic revival are facing an >unexpected obstacle course as planners lurch from one fiasco to the next.

the country’s economic revival ? where ? One fiasco to another is actually the current govt's line of direction, so no real surprise to see the same happening here.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I agree with fxgai. A little global embarrassment might help provide the impetus for Japanese to finally wake up. May not be fun, but it's better than waiting for a total collapse to be the wake-up call.

The logo thing was a case in point. I outsource logos all the time, and the first thing I do when I receive them is run an image search on Google to find similar images (and to see if they were simply copied). But I only spend $20 on my logos. I hate to think what the government spent...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Some say the embarrassments show Japan has yet to adapt its idiosyncratic, opaque ways of decision-making and planning to 21st century expectations for transparency and accountability.

“Tokyo 2020 is so symbolic of their lagging behind in globalization,” said Nancy Snow, a professor emeritus in communications at California State University at Fullerton. “This is a disaster in terms of communication and image management.”

I believe myself, and other "Japan-bashers" have made similar statements here on JT recently. But when a "professor emeritus" says it, its OK I guess. And it is not just the Olympics showing the weakness of Japan Inc. There's Olympus, Toshiba, and the virtual collapse of the Japanese electronics industry as further proof of how stuck in the 90's the country is.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I am sure it will all be ok. If Brazil and other 3 rd world countries can host large international sporting events and succeed, pretty sure our oyaji will eventually get it together.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

New proposals for the stadium, which will... lack air conditioning and the roof included in architect Zaha Hadid’s original plan...

Okay, so no aircon, and some kind of roof or no roof? In late July and early August? In a concrete capital?

I'll pass.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Sad about the Rugby world Cup miss. I think that will be way more fun than the Olympics. Many Olympic sports are pretty lame and don't command a large or enthusiastic public following.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

“Tokyo 2020 is so symbolic of their lagging behind in globalization,” said Nancy Snow, a professor emeritus in communications at California State University at Fullerton. “This is a disaster in terms of communication and image management.”

Lagging behind in globalization- I'll second that. As for the management disaster, when will the japanese ditch that old management style from the "bubble" years? It doesn't work anymore. There are other innovative ways to manage and get s**t done right.

We are good at autos and electronics. That is all. LoL @ gokai-

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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