To mark the 300-day countdown until the host city for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games is elected, Tokyo 2020 is staging a series of events to encourage the public to get behind its bid.
Sunday a giant clock was unveiled outside Tokyo’s Shibuya railway station that is ticking down the minutes and days until the IOC selects the 2020 host city.
Tsunekazu Takeda, president of the Japanese Olympic Committee said, “for realizing the Olympics in Japan, it will be very important to gain support from the Japanese people. We request the active support of all people”.
Shintaro Ishihara, former governor of Tokyo, told a press conference, “we shall realize the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics with the whole of Japan working together”.
Deutsche Welle reports Tokyo 2020 estimates hosting the Games will generate economic activity across Japan to the tune of 29.22 billion Euros and create more than 150,000 jobs.
According to a government report the economies of the city and country will be stimulated by improved public transport, attractive new sports facilities, and a variety of other valuable public amenities.
Tokyo 2020 organizers are reportedly confident their proposal for a “compact” Olympic Games, with the majority of the facilities within an 8-km radius, as well as the extensive use of existing venues instead of the need to construct entirely new ones, will be in its favour when a decision is made.
Forty per cent of the venues will be fully renovated existing structures and Tokyo has promised to hold many of the events in the earthquake and tsunami-damaged northeast of Japan.
