The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© Copyright 2008/9 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Tokyo public lukewarm on bid for 2016 Summer Olympics
TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
25 Comments
Login to comment
tokyotom
the amount of "pain the butt" during this summit time, makes me less than lukewarm no need for olympics here, no need for coming out party give it to Rio!
RepublicofTexas
Though there are certainly a number of negatives to the Olympics, if Japan and Tokyo can successfully pull this off, I think it could serve to rejuvenate the city and the country. After all there isn't much hope or excitement for the future right now in Japan what with the aging population and other problems.
serindipity
Message to self - Be out of Tokyo by 2016.
DoctorTofu
RepublicofTexas - not to sound too harsh, but how exactly do you imagine Olympics could address the problem of aging population? People won't start having babies en masse just because there's a big sporting event in the vicinity...
thepro
If the police are to be as annoying as during this G8 summit I don't see why anybody would want it
tkoind2
I love Ishihara like I love having the stomach flu, so I would love to see his bid for the Olympics fail, spectacularly.
Beyond that it just doesn't make sense to Tokyo. Too much money wasted on things we don't need while things we do need go undone. Not to mention the inconvenience of actually hosting the Olympics.
Bad idea top to bottom. But then again, bad ideas are one of Ishihara's few strong points.
tkoind2
p.s. I vote for Rio too.
Sarge
"Public support is one of several factors in selecting an Olympic city."
But the biggest factor is money. And Tokyo is in debt.
some14some
Sarge: exactly, exactly... sour grapes !
Loki520
"and they destroy the environment"
This from someone that lives in Japan? Has anybody paid ANY attention to the failure of a recycling program this country has? I've never been any place so on the "ECO" bandwagon that actually did so little to try and make it work.
RepublicofTexas
I never even implied that the olympics would address the agin population problem, i merely stated that the Olympics would be a constructive outlet for Japanese pride, as well as a symbol of hope for a future revival of a country in slow decline.
The Japanese are a lot better at recycling than a number of other developed nations I can think of.
spudman
RepublicofTexas "i merely stated that the Olympics would be a constructive outlet for Japanese pride, as well as a symbol of hope for a future revival of a country in slow decline" like the soccer world cup didn't or the Nagano winter olympics didn't? whats different about the summer games?
lipscombe
its just not gonna happen
RepublicofTexas
spudman,
The soccer world cup helped warm tense relations between Japan and Korea (showing they could cooperate), as for the Nagano Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics' are never met with as much enthusiasm as the Summer Olympics'. However the Nagano Olympics were a success. Also I merely suggested the possibility of the psychological benefits of an Olympic Games. (possibility being the keyword).
Betting
With China having the Olympics very soon, is it possible for Japan to get them in 2016? It is very close to Peking, and only 8 years away so wouldn't the committee want to give it to another country a bit further away?
RepublicofTexas
Well then Madrid would be out b/c of London in 2012.
RepublicofTexas
Who would want a Chicago Olympics? I think Tokyo and Rio have the best chances, w/ Rio perhaps having the best.
JeromeInJapan
Do you Japan's budget for the bid? There is none!!! They are going all out on this one. If it comes down to money (which everything does these days) they WILL win it.
JeromeInJapan
I mean they are not even placing an initial bid. They are waiting for the others then BANG placing one bid to hopefully secure it. Talk about saving face...
Raja Kumar
G0 TOKYO 2016, GO
GJDailleult
Only eight years after Beijing, no Summer Olympics in the western hemisphere since 1996, the lowest level of public support for the bid, and the main guy behind the bid is, uh, Ishihara. Good luck, I guess anything is possible.
RepublicofTexas
What about Athens 2004, and London 2012?
RepublicofTexas
Sorry never mind, I thought you said the West not the Western hemisphere, my bad.
GJDailleult
No problem, I should have said the Americas anyways.
Loki520
"The Japanese are a lot better at recycling than a number of other developed nations I can think of."
Yea, but how many of them have a primary concern that getting the olympics is gonna "destroy the environment".
You wanna destroy the environment? Put a million trucks on crowded and congested roads each and every day. Have recycling efforts that include "nama gomi" only TWICE a week and certainly not on a Monday. Or plastics that actually are recycled, but the bails of finished plastic are stacked on roofs with no idea of how to move forward. Have nimrod trash collectors who leave a pretty yellow note on a bag that says "one of your 45 bottles has a tiny itty bit of juice in it... not allowed" and leave the entire bag for SOMEONE to correct, hopefully the person who took it out. Or, wrap plastic containers in another sheet of printed plastic instead of just ONE. How about refusing to sell "non wrapped" items and make sure that your item is wrapped in cellophane, with a plastic wrapper and then in a box on top of that.
There are a million ways to recycle. Japan may do better than some, but they are not so good that the concerned citizen's can proudly stand on their "eco" bags and complain about someone destroying the environment.