Tokyo to bid for 2020 Summer Games, Hiroshima might join: Gov. Ishihara

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TOKYO, Nov. 9 Kyodo -
Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara said Monday the Japanese capital will bid to host
the 2020 Summer Olympic Games and should Tokyo be selected, it will jointly
organize the event with Hiroshima, which is also seeking to host the Summer
Games.
The remarks follow Tokyo's loss to Rio de Janeiro last month in the race to
host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Hiroshima announced shortly after Tokyo's loss that the western Japanese city
will seek to host the 2020 Summer Games with Nagasaki, both of which suffered
U.S. atomic bombings during World War II, despite the Olympic Charter
stipulating that only one city can host the Olympics.
Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba released a statement on Ishihara's remarks
saying that his city will explore the possibility of jointly hosting the event
with Hiroshima and Nagasaki as key venues.
Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue said that jointly hosting the event with Tokyo
could be pursued under the concept of an Olympics aimed at peace and the
abolition of nuclear weapons.
The Japanese Olympic Committee on Monday welcomed Ishihara's remarks about a
fresh bid by Tokyo, with Vice President Tomiaki Fukuda saying, ''It is truly
great.''
Another vice president, Masato Mizuno, said, ''It has been common in recent
years for a city to make several bids to host the Olympic Games. It is
completely natural for Tokyo to make another bid.''
However, some Tokyo metropolitan assembly members and government officials
questioned Ishihara's latest remarks, noting that the governor intends to
retire in April 2011 at the end of his third term.
''April or May next year would be the time limit for our applying with the
JOC,'' the governor told reporters at the metropolitan government office. ''It
is my responsibility to declare (Tokyo's) bid.''
But Ishihara added that his successor will have the final say on the matter.
==Kyodo