Fukushima Gov. Masao Uchibori on Tuesday told the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that the Tohoku prefecture hopes to host some of the preliminary events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to showcase its recovery from the 2011 nuclear accident.
"We need to set a goal so that we can show how much Fukushima has recovered" from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident, Uchibori told reporters after holding talks with Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe.
Uchibori said existing facilities are expected to be used for the preliminary events, but did not elaborate on which sports the prefecture wants to host.
Masuzoe told a news conference the same day that holding some events in Fukushima or other areas in northeastern Japan are possible options, apparently bearing in mind sports that have preliminary rounds such as soccer.
"The Olympics is meant to show to the world the Tohoku region's reconstruction. We want to cooperate as much as possible (toward that end)," Masuzoe said.