Poll Shows Tokyo 2020 Has Strong Support

The poll corroborates a separate poll taken by the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper January 11 and 13, which found that national support for Tokyo's bid has risen to 78 per cent. This independent poll also revealed that 83 per cent of Japan's citizens in their 20s and 30s support Tokyo 2020, showing that Japan's bid aligns with the International Olympic Committee's (IOC's) ambition of ensuring that the Games, sport and the Olympic Movement are relevant to young people.

Tsunekazu Takeda, IOC member and President of both the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and Tokyo 2020 said, "we know public support was a challenge for us last time, and so we are delighted by this very strong result. It is especially significant that a large number of our passionate supporters are young people, showing that the future is bright for the Olympic Movement in Japan. The Japanese are enthusiastic fans of sport and they love the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They also understand, as recent surveys indicate, that hosting the Games in Tokyo in 2020 would have long-term benefits for Japanese sport, society, the economy and the environment".

The 73 per cent rate of support of the Tokyo 2020-sponsored survey was up 26 points over a survey conducted by the IOC announced in May 2012.

Tokyo 2020 is also receiving support from other sectors of Japanese society as well, including all levels of government. Newly-elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Governor Tokyo Naoki Inose have proclaimed their enthusiastic support for the bid, and the separate houses of Representatives and Councillors have passed a resolution supporting the bid and pledging all required Government guarantees.

In the private sector, corporate sponsorship for Tokyo 2020 is growing, with 16 major corporations becoming Official Bid Sponsors.