Hiroshima-Nagasaki Olympics bid nixed by JOC
Jan. 1, 2010
by Yoshiki Simote and Kohei Okata, Staff Writers
On December 25, Tsunekazu Takeda, president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), conveyed to Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue, who have been considering a joint bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, that the committee would not accept the joint bid, which violates the Olympic Charter clause calling on "a single city" to stage the Games. After the talks, Mayor Akiba revealed his idea, as an alternative, for the City of Hiroshima to host the Games alone.
Mayor Akiba and Mayor Taue visited the JOC in Tokyo and met with Mr. Takeda and others. During the meeting, President Takeda explained that he consulted with senior officials of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the beginning of this month and confirmed their view that the Olympic Charter could not be revised for the 2020 Games. Mr. Takeda then commented, "The JOC must abide by the charter and so cannot support a joint bid."
At the same time, Mr. Takeda indicated, "If the City of Hiroshima or the City of Nagasaki decides to declare its candidacy on its own, it can be considered for the bid." He also suggested that the cities jointly make a bid to host the Youth Olympics, which has been newly established in order to educate youth, or hold an international symposium related to the Olympic Games.
Mayor Akiba later took part in the Conference of Mayors of Ordinance-Designated Cities and said, "We may pursue the idea of Hiroshima serving as the host city with Nagasaki lending its support." He also called on the cities at the conference for their cooperation as "supporters." After the conference, Mayor Akiba added, "Another possibility is that Hiroshima, by itself, will bid to host the Olympics."
Nagasaki Mayor Taue commented, "Nagasaki cannot hold the Olympics on its own, but I don't think the possibility of the A-bombed cities holding the Games has been ruled out."
To this point, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been considering a bid to host the Olympics in tandem, presenting the event as a "Celebration of World Peace." The idea of multiple cities hosting the Games was also conceived as a way to surmount sizable obstacles, such as securing sufficient financial backing and developing the necessary facilities. On December 12, 23 local governments, including Osaka Prefecture, the City of Osaka, and the City of Kitakyushu, joined the second meeting of the 2020 Olympics Bid Review Committee, thereby expanding the circle of cooperation.
Now that the JOC has conveyed its conclusion that it "cannot accept" the joint bid, the review committee is pressed to make a hard decision on the bid in regard to the possibility of Hiroshima, a local city, hosting the Games alone.
According to the JOC, "It would be possible to develop a strategy in consideration of world conditions and extend the deadline to select Japan's candidate city for hosting the Games by the spring of 2011."
Comment by JOC President on a potential bid by Hiroshima
Tsunekazu Takeda, the JOC President, commented:
"If Hiroshima, a city which can create a strong impression due to its devotion to peace, decides to bid on its own, we would hope that it could form the best plan to win the bid. By developing a better plan than Tokyo, Hiroshima could fight a good fight in the selection process for Japan's candidate city to host the Games."
(Originally published on Dec. 26, 2009)
Related articles
Bid for Olympic Games as a Celebration of Peace, Part 1 (Oct. 14, 2009)
On December 25, Tsunekazu Takeda, president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), conveyed to Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue, who have been considering a joint bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, that the committee would not accept the joint bid, which violates the Olympic Charter clause calling on "a single city" to stage the Games. After the talks, Mayor Akiba revealed his idea, as an alternative, for the City of Hiroshima to host the Games alone.
Mayor Akiba and Mayor Taue visited the JOC in Tokyo and met with Mr. Takeda and others. During the meeting, President Takeda explained that he consulted with senior officials of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the beginning of this month and confirmed their view that the Olympic Charter could not be revised for the 2020 Games. Mr. Takeda then commented, "The JOC must abide by the charter and so cannot support a joint bid."
At the same time, Mr. Takeda indicated, "If the City of Hiroshima or the City of Nagasaki decides to declare its candidacy on its own, it can be considered for the bid." He also suggested that the cities jointly make a bid to host the Youth Olympics, which has been newly established in order to educate youth, or hold an international symposium related to the Olympic Games.
Mayor Akiba later took part in the Conference of Mayors of Ordinance-Designated Cities and said, "We may pursue the idea of Hiroshima serving as the host city with Nagasaki lending its support." He also called on the cities at the conference for their cooperation as "supporters." After the conference, Mayor Akiba added, "Another possibility is that Hiroshima, by itself, will bid to host the Olympics."
Nagasaki Mayor Taue commented, "Nagasaki cannot hold the Olympics on its own, but I don't think the possibility of the A-bombed cities holding the Games has been ruled out."
To this point, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been considering a bid to host the Olympics in tandem, presenting the event as a "Celebration of World Peace." The idea of multiple cities hosting the Games was also conceived as a way to surmount sizable obstacles, such as securing sufficient financial backing and developing the necessary facilities. On December 12, 23 local governments, including Osaka Prefecture, the City of Osaka, and the City of Kitakyushu, joined the second meeting of the 2020 Olympics Bid Review Committee, thereby expanding the circle of cooperation.
Now that the JOC has conveyed its conclusion that it "cannot accept" the joint bid, the review committee is pressed to make a hard decision on the bid in regard to the possibility of Hiroshima, a local city, hosting the Games alone.
According to the JOC, "It would be possible to develop a strategy in consideration of world conditions and extend the deadline to select Japan's candidate city for hosting the Games by the spring of 2011."
Comment by JOC President on a potential bid by Hiroshima
Tsunekazu Takeda, the JOC President, commented:
"If Hiroshima, a city which can create a strong impression due to its devotion to peace, decides to bid on its own, we would hope that it could form the best plan to win the bid. By developing a better plan than Tokyo, Hiroshima could fight a good fight in the selection process for Japan's candidate city to host the Games."
(Originally published on Dec. 26, 2009)
Related articles
Bid for Olympic Games as a Celebration of Peace, Part 1 (Oct. 14, 2009)
