OSAKA -- While Osaka officials say public support for the 2008 Olympics bid is at a fever pitch, many ordinary citizens are concerned that public money is being spent on Olympic-size plans without public accountability, and recent polls indicate a growing number are having second thoughts about the Games.
With approximately one month to go before the Japan Olympic Committee announces whether Osaka or Yokohama will get the nod, Osaka officials are confident their city will be victorious. At a recent meeting between city council members and bureaucrats, talk centered not on whether Osaka would beat Yokohama, but on how to compete internationally after the JOC decision is announced.
One of Osaka's strongest selling points, city officials say, is the high level of public support. But according to representatives of several area watchdog groups, such enthusiasm is not nearly as strong as City Hall claims, and is tempered by concerns over increased taxes and environmental damage.