olympic

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Citizens rather want welfare improvement than Olympic

Citizens in Tokyo and Fukuoka City, cities bidding to host the Olympic Games in 2016, are demanding improved measures to defend the peace and their living conditions rather than hosting the Olympic Games.

In Tokyo on August 11, an organization to promote the construction of a Tokyo peace memorial hall, submitted to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Japanese Olympic Committee a written statement opposing Tokyo's Olympic bid and calling for the construction of a peace memorial hall.

The statement criticized Governor Ishihara Shintaro, who sees the Olympic Games as an opportunity to display national prestige, for forcing citizens to endure hardships by cutting welfare services and further widening the social gap.

Pointing out that more than six trillion yen is expected to be spent for Olympic related-roads alone, the statement argued that Governor Ishihara wants to use the Olympic Games to promote large development projects.

Also, the Fukuoka City Assembly first committee on the same day deliberated a petition signed by 136,576 citizens opposed to Fukuoka's bid to the Olympic Games. The Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan supported the petition while the pro-Olympic majority of the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties opposed. But the petition was not put to the vote and was carried over to the next session.

"Despite the pro-Olympic majority in the assembly, it could not turn down the petition. Even the DPJ and SDP, which had voted for the resolution to host the Olympic Games, now support our petition. This shows the strength of citizens' power," said a representative of a citizens' group opposing the Fukuoka bid.

He argued that people know that the real purpose of the Olympic Games is the promotion of large urban development projects, and demanded that the assembly as an organ representing the citizens sincerely respond to the petition.
- Akahata, August 12, 2006