OSAKA -- A report issued Friday by the city of Osaka advocates turning Maishima, a man-made island off Osaka that was the centerpiece of the city's failed bid for the 2008 Olympic Games, into a business, academic and recreation center.
Under the plan, about 20 hectares of the 220-hectare island would be set aside for the construction of warehouses. The city hopes to attract other businesses to occupy the rest of the land.
The new plan represents a major shift in policy following the loss of the 2008 Olympics to Beijing.