The chair of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Future Host Commission, Kristin Kloster Aasen, expressed on June 24 her hope that Japan will host a future Winter Olympics. Speaking to the press, Aasen emphasized that Japan's hosting of the sporting event would be a 'great honor' for the Olympic community.
Aasen said the IOC highly values Japan's potential and experience in organizing international sports events, particularly the success of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics despite the pandemic. According to her, Japan possesses modern infrastructure and a professional organizing team, key factors for a successful Winter Olympics.
Although Japan has not made any specific proposals, Aasen's remarks are seen as an encouraging signal from the IOC. Japan previously hosted the Winter Olympics in Sapporo 1972 and Nagano 1998, and many experts believe the country could host another winter Games in the future.