Last Call For The Future Of Tokyo

For in the year 2020, Tokyo is about to explode...with Olympic pride.

Tokyo has been chosen by the International Olympic Committee to host the 2020 Summer Games.

In voting Saturday in Buenos Aires, the committee picked Tokyo over the two other contenders, Madrid and Istanbul.

The announcement came at 5:20 a.m. Tokyo time, but a large crowd watching on an outdoor video screen burst into cheers.

Tokyo previously hosted the Summer Games in 1964.

Japan's bid for 2020 billed the city as the safe choice -- despite radiation leaking from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe personally made a presentation to the committee and promised an effective cleanup.

There is that whole Fukushima thing, yeah...but hey, Tokyo did come in with the lowest bid.

Tokyo's bid came in at $5 billion to $6 billion, compared to $19 billion pledged by Istanbul, said Ed Hula, editor and founder of aroundtherings.com, which covers the business and politics of the Olympic movement.

But Tokyo's government has already amassed a $4.9 billion Olympic fund to pay to prepare for the Games, Hula said. And a $1 billion national stadium that will be used for the athletic events and the Opening Ceremonies will already have been built for the rugby World Cup in 2017 and is not considered an Olympic expense.

But Istanbul and Madrid just weren't ready, and would have needed tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure to get there.  Still, guys, FUKUSHIMA.

On the other hand, can you imagine how fast President Obama would have been impeached if America had put $5 billion away for an Olympic bid?