Tokyo 2016 Olympic bid
Encyclopedia
The Tokyo bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics was an unsuccessful campaign, first recognized by the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) on September 14, 2007. The IOC shortlisted four of the seven applicant cities—Chicago, United States
; Madrid, Spain
; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
; and Tokyo
, Japan
; over Baku, Azerbaijan
; Doha, Qatar
; and Prague, Czech Republic
—on June 4, 2008 during a meeting in Athens
, Greece
. This was followed by an intensive bidding process which finished with the election of Rio de Janeiro
at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen
, Denmark
, on October 2, 2009.
Tokyo earned the top scores during the Applicant phase, after a detailed study of the Applicant Files received by the IOC Working Group on January 14, 2008. Between April 16 and April 19, 2009, the IOC Evaluation Commission, led by Nawal El Moutawakel
, arrived in Tokyo to assess the conditions of the city. The Commission attended technical presentations, participated in question-and-answer sessions about the Candidature File and made inspections in all the existing venues across the city. Tokyo was eliminated in the second round of voting with only 20 votes in a three-round exhaustive ballot
of the IOC.
The Japanese Olympic Committee
(JOC) nominated Tokyo over Fukuoka
as its candidate city to host the 2016 Summer Olympics
and Paralympics
on August 30, 2006. This is the country's third failure, after two failed attempts for the 1988
and the 2008 Summer Olympics. Recent Olympic Games
in Asia as the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, China
, hurt Tokyo's bid. If successful, it would be the second Olympics hosted in Tokyo, after the 1964 Summer Olympics
, and the fourth hosted in Japan, after the 1972 Winter Olympics
in Sapporo and the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano.
(JOC) set a deadline of June 30, 2006, for cities to submit bids. It decided on August 30, 2006, that Tokyo would be the country's candidate for 2016. The other major internal candidate from Japan was the western city of Fukuoka
on the island of Kyūshū
. Reportedly, Osaka
(2008 Summer Olympics bid
), Sapporo (which held the 1972 Winter Olympics
), and Nagoya (1988 Summer Olympics bid
) also expressed an interest in bidding,
and Barcelona
did in previous hostings), revitalizing the waterfront with housing, retail, and entertainment venues, some from land reclaimed from Tokyo Bay. The landfill will be a forest island for use as the site of equestrian, canoeing and other sporting events, named "Umi no Mori" or "Forest on the Sea". The motto is "Uniting Our Worlds" in English, and in Japanese.
As an "Alpha+" global city
, Tokyo is one of the world's largest and most interconnected cities. In addition to the existing urban rail network, already the world's most extensive, three ring roads are currently being built around the city to help reduce congestion problems. Tokyo has also been consistent in funding public transport, a strength compared to other bid cities. With over 124,000 hotel rooms nearby, ample accommodations is a highlighted strength of Tokyo's bid.
The public relations firm of Weber Shandwick Worldwide
has been retained by the Tokyo 2016 Bid Committee to develop public relations campaigns and global support. Weber Shandwick's track record includes working on previous bids for the winning campaigns of Sydney
in 2000, Turin
in 2006, Beijing
in 2008, and Sochi
in 2014.
The bid follows the success of the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, which Japan co-hosted with South Korea
. In addition to Tokyo's hosting of the 1964 Summer Olympics
, Japan also has past Olympic experience as the host of the 1972 Winter Games
in Sapporo and the 1998 Winter Games
in Nagano.
) was to be built to seat 100,000, and later pared back to 80,000 to leave a desired "legacy building". The new Olympic Village was to contain five high-rise buildings, each representing one of the Olympic Rings. Primarily lying in two tight clusters of 31 planned venues, 21 already exist and the Japanese will need to build ten new venues, including five which would be temporary for Games use only. Plans were to refurbish many venues from the 1964 Summer Olympic Games, located within just 20 minutes of the waterfront. At first, the planned Media Center was to be located within ten minutes of the Ginza
, on the site of the current Tsukiji fish market
, but soil pollution has occurred around the newly planned Toyosu fish market, so the plan was separated from the discussion of the fish market's replacement. The Media Center has been changed to Tokyo Big Sight
.
Several existing and proposed facilities would host events at the 2016 Olympics. Among them are the following:
The master plan does not show venues for either golf or rugby, however there is a golf course, Wakasu Golf Links, near Wakasu Olympic Marina (planned, for sailing) and Umi no Mori (Sea Forest) venues. Taizō Kawada, of the Japan Golf Association
(JGA), suggests this venue could be used.
(approximately US$
50 million). Funding will come from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to cover 1.5 billion for the preparations, and the remaining funds will come from the private sector. The plan gives evidence of a national financial guarantee to cover any cost over runs and some infrastructure projects. The bid budget is set at US $48 million jointly funded by private and public sources. This is in line with most other bids. Estimated revenue is set at $1.557 billion.
The Yumenoshima
landfill will be an 88-hectare island in Tokyo Bay with compost made from fallen leaves and twigs gathered in the public parks and streets of Tokyo. The trash landfill will be transformed into a green forest where 480,000 trees will be planted, in addition to the sports venues located on the island. In addition, Tokyo plans to promote the use of more low-emissions buses and other vehicles in order to reduce in traffic congestion and help curb emissions from carbon dioxide.
Tokyo's bid was promoted to the Candidate City shortlist in June 2008. Despite Tokyo's many strengths, the Beijing Games
will have been held in the region eight years before, as well as Tokyo's own previous hosting in 1964. However, on numerous occasions the Olympics have been held eight years apart on the same continent.
From 72% in March 2008, Tokyo local support fell to 56% in May 2009, the lowest support among the candidate cities. However, other polls conducted in early 2009 by some of the largest local publishers showed more than 70% support of the plan. Tokyo had worked hard to increase the popularity of its bid, even promoting the games on the Tokyo Tower
and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
by displaying "Tokyo" and "2016" in the Olympic colors.
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly
and the Diet of Japan
, several left-wing and progressive parties opposed the bid; the Japan Communist Party (JCP), the Tokyo Seikatsusha Network
(TSN) and the Social Democratic Party
(SDPJ) The JCP explained that because of the games, many highway lines, especially the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway
will be constructed with huge costs, more than is allocated to other policies: welfare, labor, education and so on. The new government led by the Democratic Party of Japan
(DPJ) have been more cautious than the Liberal Democratic Party
(LDP) under the leadership of the governor, Shintarō Ishihara
; Ishihara was the advocate for the bid in 2006. However, the DPJ voted for the resolutions which support this bid, both in the Diet and the Assembly, and their new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama
attended the meeting in Copenhagen
.
Many former Olympic athletes lent their support on the Tokyo bid committee website, including Kōsuke Kitajima
(gold medalist for the men's 100m and 200m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 games). Three other athletes have also expressed their support: Koji Murofushi
, the winner of the men's hammer throw in Athens 2004, Mara Yamauchi
, a British long distance track and field woman athlete, and Mayumi Narita
who holds 15 gold medals in three Paralympics with the women's swimming. In the PR video, French-Japanese TV announcer Christel Takigawa
introduces the charm of Tokyo in French, and Riyo Mori
, the Miss Universe 2007
winner, spoke in English. Naoko Takahashi
, the champion in Sydney 2000 and the former world record holder in the women's marathon, is the project reader of a roughly 10,000 km virtual ekiden
(long distance relay) from Tokyo to Copenhagen, the venue of the IOC meeting to determine the host city on October 2, 2009. The Tokyo Marathon
is one of the main publicity events for this bid.
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) on September 14, 2007. The IOC shortlisted four of the seven applicant cities—Chicago, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; Madrid, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
; and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; over Baku, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
; Doha, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
; and Prague, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
—on June 4, 2008 during a meeting in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. This was followed by an intensive bidding process which finished with the election of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, on October 2, 2009.
Tokyo earned the top scores during the Applicant phase, after a detailed study of the Applicant Files received by the IOC Working Group on January 14, 2008. Between April 16 and April 19, 2009, the IOC Evaluation Commission, led by Nawal El Moutawakel
Nawal El Moutawakel
Nawal El Moutawakel is a Moroccan hurdler, who won the inaugural women's 400 m hurdles event at the 1984 Summer Olympics, thereby becoming the first female Muslim born on the continent of Africa to become an Olympic champion. She was also the first Moroccan and the first woman from a Muslim...
, arrived in Tokyo to assess the conditions of the city. The Commission attended technical presentations, participated in question-and-answer sessions about the Candidature File and made inspections in all the existing venues across the city. Tokyo was eliminated in the second round of voting with only 20 votes in a three-round exhaustive ballot
Exhaustive ballot
The exhaustive ballot is a voting system used to elect a single winner. Under the exhaustive ballot the elector simply casts a single vote for his or her favorite candidate. However if no candidate is supported by an overall majority of votes then the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated...
of the IOC.
The Japanese Olympic Committee
Japanese Olympic Committee
The Japanese Olympic Committee is the national Olympic committee in Japan for the Olympic Games movement, based in Tokyo, Japan...
(JOC) nominated Tokyo over Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
as its candidate city to host the 2016 Summer Olympics
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, are a major international multi-sport event to be celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee...
and Paralympics
2016 Summer Paralympics
The 2016 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fifteenth Paralympics and will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. The host city of the Games was announced at the 121st IOC Session held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on October 2, 2009.-Barra Cluster:* Olympic Aquatics Stadium - Swimming* Olympic...
on August 30, 2006. This is the country's third failure, after two failed attempts for the 1988
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
and the 2008 Summer Olympics. Recent Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in Asia as the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, hurt Tokyo's bid. If successful, it would be the second Olympics hosted in Tokyo, after the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
, and the fourth hosted in Japan, after the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
in Sapporo and the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano.
Tokyo's bid
City selection
The Japanese Olympic CommitteeJapanese Olympic Committee
The Japanese Olympic Committee is the national Olympic committee in Japan for the Olympic Games movement, based in Tokyo, Japan...
(JOC) set a deadline of June 30, 2006, for cities to submit bids. It decided on August 30, 2006, that Tokyo would be the country's candidate for 2016. The other major internal candidate from Japan was the western city of Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
on the island of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. Reportedly, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
(2008 Summer Olympics bid
Osaka bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics
Osaka 2008 was one of the five short-listed bids for the 2008 Games, and was to be held in Osaka, Japan.Osaka was eliminated in the first round of the ballot to select a host city at the 113th IOC sitting on July 2001 in Moscow, Russia.- Venues :...
), Sapporo (which held the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
), and Nagoya (1988 Summer Olympics bid
Nagoya bid for the 1988 Summer Olympics
Nagoya 1988 was one of the two short-listed bids for the 1988 Games, and was to be held in Nagoya, Japan.Nagoya was eliminated in the first round of the ballot to select a host city at the 84th IOC sitting on September 1981 in Baden-Baden, West Germany....
) also expressed an interest in bidding,
Bid details
Tokyo is touting "the most compact and efficient Olympic Games ever" with a dramatic setting on the waterfront. Previously an area used primarily for industry and shipping, Tokyo will have a chance to redevelop a rundown area (as LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
did in previous hostings), revitalizing the waterfront with housing, retail, and entertainment venues, some from land reclaimed from Tokyo Bay. The landfill will be a forest island for use as the site of equestrian, canoeing and other sporting events, named "Umi no Mori" or "Forest on the Sea". The motto is "Uniting Our Worlds" in English, and in Japanese.
Global city
A global city is a city that is deemed to be an important node in the global economic system...
, Tokyo is one of the world's largest and most interconnected cities. In addition to the existing urban rail network, already the world's most extensive, three ring roads are currently being built around the city to help reduce congestion problems. Tokyo has also been consistent in funding public transport, a strength compared to other bid cities. With over 124,000 hotel rooms nearby, ample accommodations is a highlighted strength of Tokyo's bid.
The public relations firm of Weber Shandwick Worldwide
Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is a public relations firm.-History:Weber Shandwick is a formation of three previous companies:*The Weber Group - Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1987, leveraging emerging technologies such as the mobile phone and the internet into the world of communications, which made the company a...
has been retained by the Tokyo 2016 Bid Committee to develop public relations campaigns and global support. Weber Shandwick's track record includes working on previous bids for the winning campaigns of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 2000, Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
in 2006, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in 2008, and Sochi
Sochi
Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...
in 2014.
The bid follows the success of the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, which Japan co-hosted with South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. In addition to Tokyo's hosting of the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
, Japan also has past Olympic experience as the host of the 1972 Winter Games
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
in Sapporo and the 1998 Winter Games
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano.
Venues
The Olympic park at the city center was to allow the Olympic experience to "permeate the city without compromising Olympic operations". A new stadium (designed by Tadao AndoTadao Ando
is a Japanese architect whose approach to architecture was once categorized by Francesco Dal Co as critical regionalism. Ando has led a storied life, working as a truck driver and boxer prior to settling on the profession of architecture, despite never having taken formal training in the field...
) was to be built to seat 100,000, and later pared back to 80,000 to leave a desired "legacy building". The new Olympic Village was to contain five high-rise buildings, each representing one of the Olympic Rings. Primarily lying in two tight clusters of 31 planned venues, 21 already exist and the Japanese will need to build ten new venues, including five which would be temporary for Games use only. Plans were to refurbish many venues from the 1964 Summer Olympic Games, located within just 20 minutes of the waterfront. At first, the planned Media Center was to be located within ten minutes of the Ginza
Ginza
is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...
, on the site of the current Tsukiji fish market
Tsukiji fish market
The , commonly known as the , is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. The market is located in Tsukiji in central Tokyo, and is a major attraction for foreign visitors....
, but soil pollution has occurred around the newly planned Toyosu fish market, so the plan was separated from the discussion of the fish market's replacement. The Media Center has been changed to Tokyo Big Sight
Tokyo Big Sight
is the popular nickname for the , a Japanese convention center that opened in April 1996. Located in Odaiba, Tokyo Bay, the center is one of the largest convention venues within the city, and its most iconic representation is the visually distinctive Conference Tower.-Construction:Contracted by the...
.
- Tokyo Olympic Stadium (東京オリンピックスタジアム): A stadium that will be built in AriakeAriake, Tokyois a location within Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. It is best known as the region adjacent to and directly east of Odaiba. Airake is subdivided into four chome and comprises part of the Tokyo Bay Landfill #10 and Tokyo Rinkai Satellite City Center....
in Chūō, TokyoChuo, Tokyois one of the 23 special wards that form the heart of Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Chūō City in English.Its Japanese name literally means "Central Ward," and it is historically the main commercial center of Tokyo, although Shinjuku has risen to challenge it since the end of World War II...
, on the seaside with Tokyo BayTokyo Bayis a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
. Opening and closing ceremonies; track and field; soccer finals; destination of marathon and walking events - Kasumigaoka National StadiumOlympic Stadium (Tokyo)or National Stadium is a stadium in Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan that served as the main stadium for the 1964 Summer Olympics. It currently serves as the stadium where the Japan national football teams home matches and major football club cup finals are held.-History:The stadium was...
(国立霞ヶ丘競技場): An existing sports complex at Meiji Jingū GaienMeiji Shrine', located in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.-History:...
in ShinjukuShinjuku, Tokyois one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...
and Minato, TokyoMinato, Tokyois one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
, including Olympic Stadium (Tokyo)Olympic Stadium (Tokyo)or National Stadium is a stadium in Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan that served as the main stadium for the 1964 Summer Olympics. It currently serves as the stadium where the Japan national football teams home matches and major football club cup finals are held.-History:The stadium was...
and Chichibunomiya Rugby StadiumChichibunomiya rugby stadiumin the Aoyama district of central Tokyo is the spiritual home of Japanese rugby union and the headquarters of the Japan Rugby Football Union.-Facilities:...
. Start of marathon - Ariake Tennis no Mori Park (有明テニスの森公園): An existing tennis facility in Ariake. Tennis
- Odaiba Kaihin Park (お台場海浜公園): An existing public park. Triathlon
- Shiokaze Park (潮風公園): An existing public park in Shinagawa, TokyoShinagawa, Tokyois one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Shinagawa City. The ward is home to nine embassies.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 344,461 and a density of 15,740 persons per km². The total area is 22.72 km²....
. Beach volleyball - Yoyogi National GymnasiumYoyogi National Gymnasiumis an arena in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, Japan which is famous for its suspension roof design.It was designed by Kenzo Tange and built between 1961 and 1964 to house swimming and diving events in the 1964 Summer Olympics. A separate annex was used for the basketball competition at those same games...
: Facility built for 1964 Olympics. Handball - Yoyogi Park Arena: Volleyball
- Tokyo Metropolitan GymnasiumTokyo Metropolitan Gymnasiumis a world-class sporting complex in Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1954 for the World Wrestling Championship, it was also used as the venue for gymnastics events at the 1964 Summer Olympics...
: Built for the 1956 World Wrestling Championship and used in the 1964 Olympics. Table tennis - Nippon BudokanNippon BudokanThe , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
: Built for judo in the 1964 Olympics. Judo - Tokyo Imperial Palace Outer Gardens: Start of bicycling road race
- Tokyo International ForumTokyo International ForumThe is a multi-purpose center in Tokyo, Japan.One of its halls seats 5,000. In addition to seven other halls, it includes exhibition space, a lobby, restaurants, shops, and other facilities....
:Weightlifting - Umi-no-Mori (Sea Forest) (海の森): Proposed public park to be built on reclaimed land in Tokyo BayTokyo Bayis a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
. Cross-country, canoeing (flatwater), swimming (10 km), bicycling (mountain bike-BMX) - Tatsumi no Mori Kaihin Park (辰巳の森海浜公園): Existing park in Kōtō, TokyoKoto, Tokyois one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 442,271 and a population density of 11,070 persons per km². The total area is 39.48 km². The ward refers to itself as Kōtō City in English....
. Swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, modern pentathlon (swimming) - Yume no ShimaDream Island (Yume No Shima)is a district in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan, consisting of an artificial island built using waste landfill.Construction started in the late 1950s as a potential solution to the garbage problem in the city of Tokyo....
Stadium: Equestrian (dressage and show jumping) - Yume no ShimaDream Island (Yume No Shima)is a district in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan, consisting of an artificial island built using waste landfill.Construction started in the late 1950s as a potential solution to the garbage problem in the city of Tokyo....
Park (夢の島公園): An existing public park in Kōtō, TokyoKoto, Tokyois one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 442,271 and a population density of 11,070 persons per km². The total area is 39.48 km². The ward refers to itself as Kōtō City in English....
. Archery
The master plan does not show venues for either golf or rugby, however there is a golf course, Wakasu Golf Links, near Wakasu Olympic Marina (planned, for sailing) and Umi no Mori (Sea Forest) venues. Taizō Kawada, of the Japan Golf Association
Japan Golf Association
The , also known as the JGA, is Japanese national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for Japan.- Competitions organized by JGA :* Japan Open Golf Championship* Japan Women's Open Golf Championship...
(JGA), suggests this venue could be used.
Funding
The expenses for the bid are estimated at between 5.5 and 7 billion yenJapanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
(approximately US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
50 million). Funding will come from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to cover 1.5 billion for the preparations, and the remaining funds will come from the private sector. The plan gives evidence of a national financial guarantee to cover any cost over runs and some infrastructure projects. The bid budget is set at US $48 million jointly funded by private and public sources. This is in line with most other bids. Estimated revenue is set at $1.557 billion.
Green games
Tokyo is also touting its effort to design green games that coexist in harmony with the natural environment. They will utilize five temporary structures and measures for reducing CO2 emissions and energy consumption. For example, the Olympic village, built in the Ariake area bordering Tokyo Bay, would feature an array of eco-friendly systems such as solar and renewable energy, and aim for total waste recycling. After the Games, they would be converted to rental apartments and condominiums in a greenery-rich area.The Yumenoshima
Dream Island (Yume No Shima)
is a district in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan, consisting of an artificial island built using waste landfill.Construction started in the late 1950s as a potential solution to the garbage problem in the city of Tokyo....
landfill will be an 88-hectare island in Tokyo Bay with compost made from fallen leaves and twigs gathered in the public parks and streets of Tokyo. The trash landfill will be transformed into a green forest where 480,000 trees will be planted, in addition to the sports venues located on the island. In addition, Tokyo plans to promote the use of more low-emissions buses and other vehicles in order to reduce in traffic congestion and help curb emissions from carbon dioxide.
Logo
The logo of the Tokyo bid takes the form of a traditional Japanese knot known as musubi. The five Olympic colors are used in the decorative knot; the musubi has long been utilized in Japan to signify blessings during times of celebration.Outlook
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
will have been held in the region eight years before, as well as Tokyo's own previous hosting in 1964. However, on numerous occasions the Olympics have been held eight years apart on the same continent.
From 72% in March 2008, Tokyo local support fell to 56% in May 2009, the lowest support among the candidate cities. However, other polls conducted in early 2009 by some of the largest local publishers showed more than 70% support of the plan. Tokyo had worked hard to increase the popularity of its bid, even promoting the games on the Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower
is a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At , it is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.Built in...
and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
The , also referred to as Tokyo City Hall or Tochō for short, houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs not only the 23 wards, but also the cities, towns and villages that make up Tokyo as a whole....
by displaying "Tokyo" and "2016" in the Olympic colors.
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly
Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly
The is the prefectural parliament of Tokyo.Its 127 members are elected every four years in 42 districts by single non-transferable vote. 23 electoral districts equal the Special wards of Tokyo, another 18 districts are made up by the cities, towns and villages in the Western part of the...
and the Diet of Japan
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
, several left-wing and progressive parties opposed the bid; the Japan Communist Party (JCP), the Tokyo Seikatsusha Network
Tokyo Seikatsusha Network
The Tokyo Seikatsusha Network is a local Japanese political party affiliated with Tokyo Seikatsu Club, a consumer's cooperative. It is generally moderate left, and tends to appeal to the same voters as the Social Democratic Party of Japan and Democratic Party of Japan.-External links:*...
(TSN) and the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Japan)
The Social Democratic Party The Social Democratic Party The Social Democratic Party (社会民主党 Shakai Minshu-tō, often abbreviated to 社民党 Shamin-tō; also known as the Social Democratic Party of Japan (abbreviated to SDPJ or SDP in English) is a political party that advocates for the establishment of a...
(SDPJ) The JCP explained that because of the games, many highway lines, especially the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway
Tokyo Gaikan Expressway
The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.-Overview:The name Gaikan refers to the route's status as an outer ring road for Tokyo. The expressway is also referred to simply as Gaikan for short...
will be constructed with huge costs, more than is allocated to other policies: welfare, labor, education and so on. The new government led by the Democratic Party of Japan
Democratic Party of Japan
The is a political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. Its socially liberal platform is generally considered center-left in the Japanese political spectrum...
(DPJ) have been more cautious than the Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
(LDP) under the leadership of the governor, Shintarō Ishihara
Shintaro Ishihara
is a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...
; Ishihara was the advocate for the bid in 2006. However, the DPJ voted for the resolutions which support this bid, both in the Diet and the Assembly, and their new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama
Yukio Hatoyama
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan between 16 September 2009 and 2 June 2010, and was the first ever Prime Minister from the modern Democratic Party of Japan....
attended the meeting in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
Many former Olympic athletes lent their support on the Tokyo bid committee website, including Kōsuke Kitajima
Kosuke Kitajima
is a Japanese multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals for the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.-Major achievements:...
(gold medalist for the men's 100m and 200m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 games). Three other athletes have also expressed their support: Koji Murofushi
Koji Murofushi
is a Japanese hammer thrower. He has been among the world elite since the 2001 World Championships, where he won the silver medal. He was olympic champion during the Athens Olympics. In 2011, He was crowned world champion.-Career:...
, the winner of the men's hammer throw in Athens 2004, Mara Yamauchi
Mara Yamauchi
Mara Rosalind Yamauchi is a British long distance track, and road running athlete. She currently holds the second fastest time by a British woman over the marathon, behind the world-record holder, Paula Radcliffe....
, a British long distance track and field woman athlete, and Mayumi Narita
Mayumi Narita
is a Japanese swimmer, described as "one of the world’s best Paralympic athletes" by the International Paralympic Committee. Japan Today has described her as a "swimming sensation perhaps as great as the Thorpedo but whose name few know"...
who holds 15 gold medals in three Paralympics with the women's swimming. In the PR video, French-Japanese TV announcer Christel Takigawa
Christel Takigawa
, commonly known as is a Japanese TV announcer and TV News presenter. In TV presentation, her name is usually abbreviated as Christel Takigawa.- Biography :...
introduces the charm of Tokyo in French, and Riyo Mori
Riyo Mori
is a Japanese dance instructor and model who won the Miss Universe 2007 title in May 2007.-Early life:...
, the Miss Universe 2007
Miss Universe 2007
Miss Universe 2007, the 56th Miss Universe pageant, took place on May 28, 2007 at the National Auditorium in Mexico City, Mexico. 77 delegates competed for the title. Riyo Mori of Japan was crowned the winner of the title by Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico....
winner, spoke in English. Naoko Takahashi
Naoko Takahashi
is a Japanese long-distance runner competing mainly in the marathon. She is widely known for her victory in the women's marathon at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, a performance that stands as the current Olympic record. At the 2001 Berlin Marathon, Takahashi became the first woman to break the 2...
, the champion in Sydney 2000 and the former world record holder in the women's marathon, is the project reader of a roughly 10,000 km virtual ekiden
Ekiden
is a term referring to a long-distance relay running race, typically on roads. The Japanese term originally referred to a post-horse or stagecoach which transmitted communication by stages.-History:...
(long distance relay) from Tokyo to Copenhagen, the venue of the IOC meeting to determine the host city on October 2, 2009. The Tokyo Marathon
Tokyo Marathon
The Tokyo International Marathon was a marathon for male elite runners held in Tokyo, Japan, from 1980 until 2006.It actually consisted of two marathons - the Tokyo International Marathon which took place on even years, and Tokyo-New York Friendship International Marathon which took place on odd...
is one of the main publicity events for this bid.