Olympic Notes: Poll Shows Record 92% Public Support For 2020 Tokyo Olympics Bid

The organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games bid "celebrated the record results of a new pole" which showed that 92% of the public were in favor of the bid. Tokyo "has struggled in opinion polls throughout the process," with the IOC's own poll showing the city to only have a 70% popularity rating -- rivals Istanbul had 83%, whilst Madrid had 76% (ISPORTCONNECT, 8/27). ... Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday "that the leakage of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant would not hamper Japan's bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics" (KYODO, 8/26). ... Japan Deputy PM Taro Aso said Tuesday that "his recent remark suggesting Japan follow the example of the Nazis in Germany in revising its pacifist Constitution would not affect Tokyo's bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics." Aso: "I've already retracted the comment and I think it is now understood that I did not intend to justify the Nazi regime at all" (KYODO, 8/27).