Promoters of Tokyo's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics formally asked that Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako attend when the International Olympic Committee takes a vote to select the host city Oct. 2 in Copenhagen.
Although Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara has publicly repeated his hopes that the couple will give a presentation at the key IOC general meeting, it was the first such request directly filed with the Imperial Household Agency.
A group led by Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda and Vice Tokyo Gov. Hiroshi Sato visited the agency to make the request.
"The matter should be carefully considered, and we would like to go over it by hearing opinions from various parties concerned," said Hirofumi Oka, a senior official of the household agency.
Japan Paralympic Committee Chairman Isao Hokugo and senior officials of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare were also part of the group.