Shintaro Ishihara, the larger-than-life governor of Tokyo, is not popular in Fukuoka.

Mr Ishihara has scoffed at efforts by the western Japanese city to embarrass Tokyo by becoming Japan’s candidate to host the 2016 Olympics. The governor has brandished Tokyo’s financial muscle and international reputation. The bid by far-flung, medium-sized Fukuoka, he says, is an “unrealistic dream”.