Tsunekazu Takeda, the President of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), told an invited audience celebrating the centenary of the JOC that his Executive Committee had approved Tokyo's bid at a special meeting earlier in the day after the capital failed to capture the 2016 Games, which were awarded to Rio de Janeiro.

"Japan must recover from the great earthquake disaster," Takeda said.

"We wish to make the 2020 Olympics a symbol of our recovery."

Tokyo's Governor, Shintaro Ishihara (pictured above with Rogge), declared that he expected Tokyo to win as he proposed a toast at the reception.

"There is no point in fighting the battle that is the Olympic bidding if we don't win it," he told the audience.

"Tokyo won't mind fighting a bloody battle in building facilities.

"I want the JOC to win a bloody battle [in leading the bid] no matter what."

Tokyo, whose decision to announce today that they will bid had been first reported by insidethegames in May, now join Madrid and Rome as declared runners in a race that is also expected to feature Doha and Istanbul.

The deadline for cities wanting to bid closes on September 1 with the decision due at the IOC Session in Buenos Aries on September 7, 2013.

Rogge called the news that Tokyo were biddingn"excellent" as he spoke onstage at a plush convention room at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa following a special ceremony where he had helped Ishihara in a ceremonious opening of a cask of sake.

"The IOC is really happy to receive this candidature and wish Tokyo a good luck," he said to enthusiastic applause.

Among the other IOC members present to witness the announcement was Poland's Irena Szewińska, who had won three medals, including a gold in the 4x100 metres, the last time Tokyo staged the Olympics in 1964.

"I have beautiful memories from Tokyo," Szewinskia told insidethegames. 

"I'm glad that they are trying again."

Among other prominent members here were Germany's Thomas Bach, the IOC vice-president; Namibia's Frankie Fredericks, the chairman of the IOC Athletes' Commission; and Switzerland's Rene Fasel, President of the International Ice Hockey Federation.


Earlier in the day, in the presence of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, Rogge had praised on Japan's track record in hosting major world sports events, including being one of only five countries to have hosted three or more Olympics - Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998 had also staged the Winter Games - and its succss in co-hosting the 2002 FIFA World Cup with South Korea.

"Your past was brilliant, your present is strong and your future is strong," he said. 

Rogge said he felt assured that the country would rise again after the earthquake and tsunami that left about 22,000 people dead or missing.

It also triggered an ongoing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the worst since Chernobyl 25 years ago.

"I appreciate again the great virtues of the Japanese people - their courage, their sense of duty, their sense of citizenship and moral fortitude," Rogge said.

"With these virtues, Japan will overcome, as it has to do in the past, this terrible crisis."

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