olympics

Tokyo outlines plans to host 2020 Olympics

11 Comments
By JIM ARMSTRONG

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Tokyo is a world-class city in a wonderful nation. I wish them the best in this bid. Any excuse to get back to Japan is good!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No need because you will not get it.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Passage, I pretty much agree with your comments.

There was a nice feeling during the world cup. Economically, I don't think it meant much to the country. The folks on JT will go on about the early concerns about hooligans coming, but the overall social impact was a nice defrosting of Korea-Japan relations at a real-people level through out the build-up and beyond.

It is easier for Tokyoites to access the slopes in Nagano.

As for Tokyo versus another city though, Fukuoka was the other candidate back when Japan was determining to make another bid,.... was it 3 bids ago? The JOC got behind Ishihara and Japan made the bid with Tokyo as it's candidate city. And they've stuck with it since. I do agree that Sendai isn't really realistic. I would've really gotten behind a Fukuoka bid.

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“We have a highly developed infrastructure that includes a public transportation system capable of carrying 25 million people daily,” Inose said.

He didn't mention that 30 million people already use it every day, and anyone hoping to get to an event around 9:30 in the morning had better be pretty slim.

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Pick another country where you won' t be fingerprinted on arrival

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@taj Disagree with some of your comments..

The 2002 World Cup didn't actually have much impact outside of that little bit of Saitama that got a new stadium and a big train station in the middle of nowhere to feed into it. Lots of hype but very localized impact on transport and economy. That area can now develop and become a new hub. Short term pain, long term gain, but very isolated.

The atmosphere in Tokyo was notably elevated. For the first time in a very long time the whole country was united and behind their boys - Never seen it before here, but have seen it since. the contry changed slightly as a result of the World Cup. The Olympics would take it several steps further.

The Nagano Games helped support the development of new stretches of expressway and shinkansen, from Takasaki through Karuizawa and Nagano city and to build facilities in Nagano prefecture. Not much impact outside of that. The locals will continue to reap the benefits of that infrastructure benefit over many years.

In a way the locals will continue to benefit, but because skiers like me now have a very easy route to enjoy their favourite passtime. The old line was hell to travel on. The local economy has lifted as a result. Was it worth the expense? I can't answer that, but life is generally improved imho.

I really, REALLY wish that Japan was proposing anywhere other than Tokyo. Other areas need and deserve it more and that's why I just can't get behind this bid.

Don't disagree, but I think Tokyo has the best infra to stage the games. I was in London last year and saw what went on there. Osaka could probably handle it, maybe Nagoya too, if coupled with a few other cities. Talk of a Tohoku Olympics makes me cringe as people really don't understand what it takes to stage a games. Nice sentiment, but could be living hell, and would probably flop big time. BTW, there is nothing stopping other cities staging a bid - it is mainly down to he mayor to kick things off.

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Better give everyone the time off work or the trains will be HELL (not that they aren't already)!

Inside the Yamanote line, things aren't that bad. The HELL is getting into the city. (Odakyu, Saikyo, etc.). As long as the Olympic village is in the middle of the city, it probably won't make a noticeable difference. Could still be a good excuse for companies become more open to flex-time, working from home, etc.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The 2002 World Cup didn't actually have much impact outside of that little bit of Saitama that got a new stadium and a big train station in the middle of nowhere to feed into it. Lots of hype but very localized impact on transport and economy. That area can now develop and become a new hub. Short term pain, long term gain, but very isolated.

The Nagano Games helped support the development of new stretches of expressway and shinkansen, from Takasaki through Karuizawa and Nagano city and to build facilities in Nagano prefecture. Not much impact outside of that. The locals will continue to reap the benefits of that infrastructure benefit over many years.

I really, REALLY wish that Japan was proposing anywhere other than Tokyo. Other areas need and deserve it more and that's why I just can't get behind this bid.

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I believe Istanbul is proposing to spend $20 billion. Not sure if that's a plus or minus. Japan, and Spain for that matter, could use the jobs created.

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Better give everyone the time off work or the trains will be HELL (not that they aren't already)!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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