Representatives of the city of Osaka and Osaka Prefecture, local sports federations and citizens' activist groups gathered Sept. 27 at a symposium to weigh the pros and cons of staging the Olympics in Osaka.
The Committee to Think About the Osaka Olympics, which was formed after Osaka was officially declared the Japanese Olympic Committee's candidate for the 2008 Games, sponsored the event, which was held in south Osaka. Four panelists, including a city representative, two academics and a Nagano official involved in next year's Winter Olympics, discussed social, financial and environmental issues facing an Osaka Olympics. Audience members also were invited to present their views.
Although the committee is not officially for or against the Olympics, most of the panelists and attendees were clearly opposed. "An Osaka Olympics will benefit no one but the construction companies and city hall bureaucrats," said panelist Fumio Yamada, a university professor.