Tokyo eyes 2020 olympics

Tokyo intends to bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics as a "big catalyst" for Japan's recovery from last month's quake-tsunami disaster, the city's governor said Sunday as he was re-elected.

Shintaro Ishihara was set to win a fourth term as Tokyo governor in local elections across the country which focused on ways to revive Japan after a 9.0-magnitude quake and monster tsunami ravaged its Pacific Coast.

"Although they (the 2020 Games) are nine years from now, we can start raising our hand now," he said. "If we will work hard with hopes for nine years ahead, it will be a big catalyst for our country's reconstruction and revival."

In late 2009, Tokyo lost out to Rio de Janeiro in the race for the 2016 Summer Olympics after spending some 15 billion yen (176 million dollars) on the bid to stage what it called compact and eco-friendly games. 

Source: Bangkok Post