TOKYO, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo defends its public support rate for the bidding of the 2016 Summer Olympics, saying the figure is much higher than the rate the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave in its evaluation report released the previous day.

    Tokyo's public support was rated at 55.5 percent, the lowest among the four candidate cities, namely Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. But the bidding committee of Tokyo said recent polls conducted in the city is higher than 70 percent.

    "The IOC's support rate survey was conducted in April. It has increased enormously due to the continuous PR campaigns and a recent Internet survey showed 72.6 percent of Tokyo residents support the Olympics," said Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda at a press conference.

    "Whatever the number is, I can assure you the Japanese people are enthusiastic to the bidding of the Olympics," Takeda said.

    Tokyo is praised for its compact plan of hosting the Games within an eight-kilometer radius, as well as its solid financial support of 3.7 billion U.S. dollars.

    Also cited was Tokyo's tangible promise to deliver a "100-year Olympic legacy" for future generations, in part by upgrading and using venues from the 1964 Olympic Games. The report noted that Tokyo 2016 offers a comprehensive environmental plan and sustainability strategy that builds on the city's strong set of environmental standards and policies.

    The bid committee generally welcomed the IOC's evaluation, regarding it as high and positive which gave them confidence.

    Rio de Janeiro, which is aiming to become the first South American city to host an Olympics, received high marks in the report, despite a low initial evaluation last June.