JCP criticizes Tokyo's bid for 2016 Games

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

JCP criticizes Tokyo's bid for 2016 Games

The Japanese Communist Party Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Members' Group on February 13 published a statement calling for Tokyo to withdraw its bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.

The Tokyo 2016 Bid Promotion Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on February 13 submitted its official bid book to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which will select a host city in October.

Tokyo claims that it can host the most compact games. However, it plans to spend huge amounts of tax money on the construction of highways as well as on Olympic facilities. This is drawing public criticism.

Although most of the Olympic Games during July 29-August 14, 2016 would take place within an eight-kilometer radius in central Tokyo, the cost for facilities construction will total 311.8 billion yen, of which Tokyo will have to pay 242.0 billion yen. The cost for the construction of highways and related infrastructure facilities will total 1.3 trillion yen.

A paper attached to Tokyo's bid book says that when the Games end up in deficit, it will be covered by the national government. However, the government has not accepted any such decision.

Sone Hajime, JCP Tokyo Metropolitan assembly members group's policy commission chair, warned, 'Far from being 'financially-robust,' the bid book shows that hosting the Olympic Games will require a larger budget than what the bid book states. It will even destroy many small parks that supply the public with the small amount of green space now available."

Rebuffing the bid book as saying that nearly 70 percent of respondents in a recent survey said they are in favor of holding of the Games in Tokyo, Sone pointed out that the survey was conducted by Yahoo! Japan, one of the official partners of 'Tokyo 2016" and that only enrolled monitors with Yahoo! Japan were surveyed. 'It is natural that some raised doubts on the credibility of such a survey," he added.

'Amid a serious economic downturn that is causing mass layoffs by major corporations, the general public really expects that tax money should not be wasted on the Games but for increasing welfare services, improving living conditions and protecting smaller companies," Sone said.

Sone concluded, 'Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro should listen to their voices and immediately give up his pipe dream."

- Akahata, February 14, 2009