Not a man to let last summer's costly failure to land the 2016 Summer Olympics deter him, Gov. Shintaro Ishihara announced on July 5 at a reconstruction seminar that Tokyo is ready to host the 2020 Games "at any cost." Mr. Ishihara claims that hosting the games would contribute to Japan's recovery from the March 11 disasters and showcase it before the world.
While all means of accelerating the rebuilding of the disaster-struck region should be pursued with vigor, not only do Tokyo's chances of winning the bid appear to be slim, but also it's questionable whether hosting the 2020 Games in Tokyo would accomplish this objective.
If Tokyo goes ahead with its bid it will face a steep and expensive uphill battle. It may be true, as some observers claim, that Japan's desire to host the games to showcase its recovery from 3/11 would garner empathy from many members of the International Olympic Committee.