The Japanese Olympic Committee Backs Sapporo’s Bid… For 2034

The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) has indicated it will approve Sapporo as a candidate for the Winter Olympics, if it aims for 2034 or later.

According to Kyodo News, this strategy came out of a JOC board meeting in Tokyo last Tuesday, 13 June, and is in reaction to a sustained drop in public support for a 2030 Olympic Games.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were marred by bid-rigging and the revelation of this after the games led to a now-majority of Sapporo residents opposing hosting the Winter Olympics, despite efforts by Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto to convey plans for a scandal-free competition.

Sapporo, once considered the frontrunner for 2030, also seems to have lost its favoured status from the International Olympic Committee, which has also been monitoring public sentiment.

Japan has hosted the Winter Olympics twice in the past, in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.

Source
Kyodo News – 13 June 2023

You might also be interested in…

• Sapporo To Re-Examine Olympic Costs
• Central Sapporo Office Rents Hit Record Highs
• Sapporo Eyes A 2% Tourist Tax