The campaign, which originally begun as joint bid in October 2009 with Nagasaki, the other Japanese city destroyed when the United States dropped nuclear bombs on Japan in 1945, before they pulled out 17 months ago, was always considered an outsider to be chosen.

But its fate has now been sealed due to opposition from citizens and lack of funds, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported today. 

Hiroshima's Mayor Kazumi Matsui has officially disbanded the bidding committee that was overseeing the bid.

The withdrawal follows the decision of Tadatoshi Akiba, he driving force behind Hiroshima's Olympic plans, to step down as Mayor last month.

Tokyo's bid to bring the Summer Games back to Japan for the first time since 1964 is now set to be confirmed later this year.

Shintaro Ishihara, re-elected as Tokyo Governor for a fourth time last month, claims that a bid from the Japanese capital will be a "big catalyst" as the country tries to recover from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that killed at least 28,000 people.

Tokyo bid for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics but were defeated by Rio de Janeiro.

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