[Meanwhile] Winter Games on edge

As Sapporo is kindling fire with quiet passion, I am watching to see if it really wins the Olympic bid.

AHN CHAK-HEEThe author is head of the global cooperation team of the JoongAng Ilbo. Hokkaido, the northernmost part of Japan, is lively today. Preparation for the Sapporo Snow Festival set to open this weekend is in full swing after a three-year hiatus from the pandemic. This winter, popular tourist destinations on the second largest island of Japan such as Sapporo, Niseko and Otaru are overflowing social media feeds with pictures from travelers.

Since Japan allowed entry from abroad in October 2022, tourists are flying in from Korea, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia to take advantage of the weak yen. Popular lodgings are sold out, and there are long queues in front of famous restaurants.

Sapporo, the representative of Japan’s winter, has already applied for the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Using its record of hosting Asia’s first Winter Games in 1972, Sapporo aims to promote the city’s charm to the world again. But its future does not look so bright due to uncertainties not only in Sapporo’s Olympic bid but also in the future of the Winter Games.

From the perspective of the Sapporo Olympic bid committee, corruption scandals associated with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was delayed by a year due to the pandemic, and consequent unfavorable public opinion regarding the Olympic bid are major concerns. Since a related poll result came out last year, the committee has halted the campaign activities. Sixty percent of Sapporo residents do not want to host the Games. They expressed a negative perception that it was a wasteful and unhelpful event for the city.

Moreover, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it will postpone the selection of the host city for the 2030 Winter Games from this autumn to next year. The decision is based on studies showing the serious impact from climate change on winter sports. This is not the end of the twisted story.

To make matters worse, Salt Lake City in the U.S. and Vancouver, Canada, which were supposed to join the bidding, backed out. Salt Lake City believes its bid will not be effective as the 2030 event takes place only two years after the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Vancouver officially confirmed that it is leaving the race. Sapporo is the only bidder now, a first in the history of the Winter Olympics.

Despite these internal and external conditions, the city of Sapporo is focused on preparing for the snow festival. When I visited Odori Park downtown last week, residents came out with shovels and saws, carving the huge snow sculptures they were assigned to. As the frozen winter kingdom is kindling fire with quiet passion, I am watching to see if it really wins the Olympic bid.