Sapporo is looking to pare down its planned $4 billion bid to host the 2026 Winter Games in line with the International Olympic Committee's emphasis on cost-efficiency, Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto has said.
"We are on the same page as the IOC. It's clear that 'compact' will be the keyword of these games," he said Monday.
Akimoto was confident IOC President Thomas Bach came away impressed by Sapporo's potential bid after the German visited Japan House in Gangneung, South Korea, on Monday.