Nuclear Crisis Will Not Damage Tokyo 2020 Bid says Governor

The governor of Tokyo has said that radiation levels in the city are no different to those in other major cities and that the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant will have no bearing on Tokyo’s bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

Japan’s nuclear crisis reached new levels this week when a tank holding contaminated water leaked 300 tons of radioactive liquid.

The country has been under increased pressure since the Fukushima plant was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami two years ago.

Tokyo governor Naoki Inose told a news conference that the city’s bid for the 2020 Olympic Games would not be affected by the situation though, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voting for the host city in two weeks’ time.

“Our food and water are totally safe and all the data is published on our home page. Right now, there’s absolutely no difference between the radiation levels in Tokyo, London, New York and Paris,” Inose said.

“As a result, the Fukushima issue is one that must be solved swiftly, but I think there is no direct connection to the hosting of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Tokyo faces competition from Istanbul and Madrid and will find out if they will host the Games on September 7 at the IOC’s 125^th Session in Buenos Aires.

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