2020 Tokyo Olympics: With Fukushima Radiation Scare Looming Large in the Background, How Capable is Japan to Contain It Before the Global Games?
Video Source: Youtube/Shota Kosuge
Japan's winning bid of the 2020 Olympics Games has many tethering for the safety and security of the world populace joining the historic event in Tokyo seven years from now amid the more sinister radiation scare from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
While the country's hosting the global games will help boost and regain its self-confidence after the much negative impact brought by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami as well as the resulting nuclear disaster, bringing the games there is touted to be already parallel to a global suicide for everyone concerned.
After all, an athlete's foremost investment and pride is one's perfect health condition.
"I have to ask - why would anyone who spent their life training for the Olympics go anywhere near a radioactive hotspot like Fukushima or any where in Japan - and take a chance on destroying their hard work and health?" Laura Beans wrote on portal EcoWatch. "Give these hardworking athletes a break and have another location (far away) host the 2020 summer games."
actually might be good japan got picked for olympics then the world can see how little tepco and gov is able to handle disaster at fukushima
— 闇の息子 (@yaminomusuko) September 9, 2013
"Japan Needs the Power of This Dream Now!" banners splashed around Tokyo city screamed in the lead-up to Sunday's big winning pronouncement by the International Olympic Committee, which chose radiation stricken Japan over rivals Istanbul and Madrid.
The upcoming games is highly expected to help boost the country's gross domestic product by 0.5 per cent in that year, according to Kyodo News. Positive economic effects in actual yen cash is expected at 4 trillion yen ($40.4 billion) and create more than 150,000 jobs, aided by new construction investment and tourism.
Japan has said it will shell out over $6 billion to host the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In exchange, it expects to gain $30 billion over a decade
But Swiss investor Marc Faber, quoted by CNBC, said that although "there may be some boost, but relative to the size of the economy, it's completely irrelevant."
Tokyo's winning 2020 Olympics bid will only worsen #Japan's debts
— japanism (@japanideas) September 9, 2013
"Tokyo's victory tells us if we put our hearts together and push ourselves, we can make our dreams come true," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a television interview Sunday. "For 15 years, Japan has stagnated because of deflation and a recessionary trend. I am convinced we can accelerate growth in the economy if we all work toward the dream and goals we were just granted."
On Wednesday, Mr Abe told reporters that the government will take a lead in achieving a complete resolution of Fukushima radiation and leak problem.
"We have made promises," Mr Abe said after Sunday's decision came out. "Now we have a responsibility to meet those expectations."