According to the survey conducted by Central Research Services, 29.9 per cent of respondents said they "supported" the idea of Sapporo hosting.

Another 30.3 per cent of people said they were "relatively on board" with the plan.

Despite this, only 50 per cent of people in the northern island of Hokkaido - where Sapporo is the capital - backed staging the Games.

This was the lowest percentage out of any Japanese region.

It is also difficult to determine exact levels of public support as officials in Sapporo have declined to hold a referendum.

Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) Board member Keiko Momii also claimed earlier this month that 60 per cent of people opposed a bid while other polls have produced less favourable results.

In January, Japanese newspaper Hokkaido Shimbun reported two thirds opposition and in April a survey in the Asahi Shimbun found that 47 per cent in the city were in favour of ending the bid.

Sapporo, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 1972, had been considered a front-runner for the 2030 Games.

However, the city and the JOC opted to put its candidacy on hold in December due to the fallout in Japan from the Tokyo 2020 corruption scandal.

Public support had declined due to alleged bid-rigging for contracts linked to test events prior to the Games in the Japanese capital.

The scandal also dented enthusiasm for a Games in Japan among the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In April, JOC President Yasuhiro Yamashita said Sapporo could delay its bid until the 2034 Games, and it was announced earlier this month that the governing body would support being a candidate then or later.

The latest poll perhaps suggests that public anger about the Tokyo 2020 scandal is cooling, with Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto among fans of a potential project.

Christophe Dubi, the Olympic Games executive director for the IOC, said this week that six countries were mulling over hosting a future Winter Olympics.

The IOC had wanted to confirm a host for 2030 at this year's delayed Session in Mumbai, but those plans have been pushed back to 2024.

Salt Lake City is among the contenders but would rather host in 2034 to avoid close proximity to another American Games - the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.

Sweden and Switzerland are also in contention for 2030 while Vancouver in Canada pulled out after failing to gain Government support.

Vancouver remains in continuous dialogue with the IOC over a future edition, however.

French IOC member Guy Drut said the country could potentially bid with a combined effort from Rhône-Alpes and the Southern Alps.