Japan’s Sapporo set to scrap bid to host Winter Olympics over cost, scandal concerns: ‘enough is enough’
- Public fears over scandals and costs stem from issues Tokyo had hosting the Summer Olympics in 2021 and the ongoing problems surrounding the Osaka Expo
- While some Japanese lament the loss of potential ‘benefit’ of hosting the Winter Games, others are breathing a sigh of relief as it’s ‘just not worth it’
The Japanese city of Sapporo is on the brink of ending its campaign to host the Winter Olympic Games until at least 2042, the effort undermined by public concern that the cost would far exceed initial projections, local taxes would have to rise and that the event would be beset by scandal.
Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto has been a strong proponent of his city hosting the Winter Olympics for a second time, after it staged the 1972 Games, but local media have reported he is set to announce that the campaign will be called off during a meeting on Tuesday with officials from the Japanese Olympic Committee and the local government.
The final nail in the campaign’s coffin came in late November, when the International Olympic Committee confirmed the French Alps as the preferred host for the 2030 Games, and Salt Lake City in Utah for 2034. The IOC also indicated that Switzerland was very much the front runner for the 2038 event, with Milan-Cortina preparing to host the next Games in 2026.
Plans to host the sporting showcase have divided Sapporo since they were first proposed in 2014, but opposition increased as problems surrounding the Tokyo Games worsened.
“I’m disappointed,” said Yoko Tsukamoto, an academic who lives in Sapporo and who has advised the mayor on medical issues.
