The committee behind Japan’s bid to host the 2020 Olympics is hoping Japan’s London medal haul will give the campaign a boost.
They will celebrate on the streets of Ginza tomorrow with open-top cars and buses, hoping a public which has been decidedly lukewarm to the idea will have something to get excited about.
There have been noises from many public groups frustrated that so much money would be spent on what some see as a vanity project for the city in such austere times, particularly post-earthquake. To persuade the public that a major, almost decade-long undertaking (the city awarded the Games will be announced in September 2013) will be worth it is surely a priority.
Japan had a decent Games in London, winning the most medals it has ever done, including seven golds. We featured the podium toppers last week.
The Japanese Olympic Committee made the announcement this week that its 76 medal winners (many, including the women’s football were won by teams) will travel down Ginza’s Chuo-dori from 11 a.m. on Monday August 20th, with crowds expected to line the streets and greet them.
London showed the world that an Olympic Games can bring a nation together in celebration and prove to be one of the greatest spectacles in world sport but looking back to Athens, for example, we can see that long-term success is not guaranteed.
