Japan’s Cabinet has thrown its full support behind Tokyo’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games but there is still a question of funding.
Bunmei Ibuki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said, “the Olympics will improve Japan’s international status, provide happy news and have other ripple effects”.
But according to the Asahi Shimbun, the ministry would not commit to a specific amount the central government will shoulder to set up and run the facilities needed to hold the Summer Games.
Last year the metropolitan government estimated that $4.4 billion would be needed to build or upgrade Olympic facilities and hoped that much of the money would come from the central government. But Tuesday the Cabinet said the central government would shoulder only up to half of those costs and said the management and the local government should carry out the operation of any facility built for the Olympics.
“Fiscal reform for the central and regional governments remains to be an important task, so being simple is our principle” said a Cabinet statement.
Meanwhile, to make room for a planned media centre for the Games, the famous Tsukiji fish market, the largest such market in the world, will be located to the outskirts of the city, reports DPA. It’s used by hundreds of wholesalers, auctioneers and distributors and is reportedly a top tourist destination where visitors can see up to 400 different types of seafood.
Market workers fear for the safety of consumers as the only proposed site for the market is contaminated by toxic filled soil, but Tokyo’s administration has said it will exchange the top two metres of contaminated soil with clean dirt and lay 2.5 metres of asphalt on top.
According to DPA, Tokyo government officials are to report results of an August toxin survey next month.
The Tokyo 2016 bid will be submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the end of September.
