Tokyo public cool to 2016 Olympic bid

The Associated Press

TOKYO: While the Olympic buzz is all about Beijing, another Asian capital is trying to woo the games back in 2016.

But Tokyo, host of the 1964 Summer Olympics, faces a major obstacle: a lukewarm response from its citizens.

Only 59 percent of Tokyo residents support the bid, the lowest among the four finalists. Madrid topped the list with 90 percent public support, followed by Rio de Janeiro (77 percent) and Chicago (74 percent). Public support is one of several factors in selecting an Olympic city.

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara is spearheading the bid, and drawing opposition inside city hall.

"The games cost too much money, and they destroy the environment," Assemblywoman Yoshiko Fukushi told The Associated Press. "Maybe there was meaning back in 1964, when the economic effects were positive."

Tokyo public cool to 2016 Olympic bid....