The Japanese public was woken today when at 6 AM, there was a radio announcement to inform them Tokyo had been selected to host the next Olympics in 1940. The result gives the Japanese enormous pleasure. The Japanese people have become one of the world's most sport-minded people in the last twenty years.
Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee voted to award the 12th Olympic Games to Tokyo. The runner up was Helskinki, Finland.
The Mayor of Tokyo will launch an elaborate program of municipal festivities to express the citizens' joy and incidentally whip up enthusiasm for the great effort to give Tokyo the latest and finest equipment.
Potential champions are already training. last night, despite temperature of 96°F and a humidity correspondingly high, a crowd of youths were practicing not just track events but javelin and discus throwing as well.
Plans for enlarging sports accommodations at a cost of ¥10,000,000 already exist as blueprints. The existing track and field stadium will be enlarged so that it will seat 120,000. A new playing field, seating 50,000 will be built, and a swimming pool accommodating 30,000 spectators is to be provided.
An entirely new Equestrian Track will be constructed in a Tokyo suburb in addition to a new indoor arena for boxing and wrestling. The yachting contests will be held off Yokohama and a new regatta course is being prepared there. A purely native addition will be a display of Japanese fencing, wrestling and archery.
An Olympic Village will be constructed in Tanagawa, thirty minutes from the city.
The Games are scheduled to run from July 20th through August 4th, 1940. The 11th Olympics open today in Berlin.
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
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