TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo hopes a bid for the 2020 Olympics will serve as a symbol of Japan’s recovery from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Japanese Olympic officials scheduled a news conference for Saturday when Tokyo’s 2020 bid will be officially revealed.
Japan’s committee president, Tsunekazu Takeda, told Kyodo news agency: “We believe the Olympics will aid in the recovery and reconstruction of this country, and we want to help create a new Japan for the future, for our children.”
Tokyo, which hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics, lost to Rio de Janeiro in the race for the 2016 Olympics.
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami left about 23,000 people dead or missing in northeastern Japan.
