TOKYO -- As the Japanese capital prepares to host the 2020 Olympic Games, the city's political center is rife with speculation as to whether Prime Minister Shinzo Abe intends to remain at the helm for the big stage.
Abe appeared at the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics on Sunday dressed as Mario from the classic video game "Super Mario Bros.," a symbol of Japan's soft power. "It will be our turn to give the excitement to people at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in four years," he told reporters afterwards. Many in Abe's Liberal Democratic Party took his enthusiasm as a sign that he wants to stay on until the next games.
