8 Story Lines Of The Upcoming Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic & Paralympic Games
There are already tons of stories circulating the media about the Tokyo 2020 Olympics next summer. The event will kick off with the opening ceremonies on July 24th, just over a year away! Although it is still quite some time until the actual events will be played out, the narrative surrounding the buildup is just as important. Here are eight different important story lines surrounding Tokyo 2020 thus far.
1. The Return of The Summer Olympic & Paralympic Games to Tokyo and it’s Historical Significance
This will be the first time in over 55 years that the Summer Olympics will return to Tokyo. The last time the event was held in Japan was in 1964, and it had an incredible impact on the perception of Japan. The games would help bolster Japanese reputation as a modern country and as a tourist destination. It started a new chapter, for a post World War Two Japan that still had many negative stereotypes associated with the country.
There was a great push to win the bid for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by Prime minister Shinzo Abe following his election win in 2012. When it was announced on September 7, 2013 the government of Japan became completely committed. Abe-San has a personal connection to the games, with his grandfather (Nobusuke Kishi) being one of the prime ministers to help bring the Olympics to Tokyo in 1964. This personal tie, the effect it had on Japan’s identity, along with the technological development that came with it, it is easy to see the historical significance, and Tokyo 2020’s connection to the past.
If you would like to read more on this topic specifically, check out this article.
2. Ticket Availability
There is an acceptance on the Tokyo 2020 organizers part that many people won’t be able to buy tickets to quite a few events. Early indications have shown that The Tokyo 2020 Tickets have been by far one of the most heavily sought after Olympic tickets in recent memory, especially domestically. The opening and closing ceremonies in particular have shown incredible support. The ceremonies tickets were for the most part sold out in the June lottery for those in Japan. This is in stark contrast compared to the last Summer Olympics in Rio, where tickets had to be given away. Many have been left disappointed after the June ticket lottery held by The Tokyo Organizing Committee. There will be more opportunities with a second lottery being held late August, but this will once again be limited in numbers as a certain percentage of tickets is allocated for foreigners.
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3. New Sports Olympic Debut
The International Olympic Committee selects twenty five “core” sports that are mandatory events in Olympic competitions. Some of these decisions are based on tradition, such as track and field or wrestling. Others are based more on global popularity like football. The core sports selected are ones that the IOC believes best represent the values of the Olympics and ultimately forms the identity. However, as the Olympics have continued to develop throughout the years, there has been a little more freedom handed over to the host nations. The host organizing committee does have the ability to add some sports that they believe will help bolster local interest. For Tokyo 2020, they have added a total of eight additional sports to the core list.
One such sport is skateboarding, which is the most recent sport I highlighted.
4). A Sustainable Games
The Olympics, like many large scale events can face its difficulties in relation to waste and how to properly manage it. For the Tokyo 2020 organizers and the country of Japan itself, sustainability is a big priority. Their have been some goals set, that no other Olympics has obtained, like 100% recycled medals or to use only renewable energy to power the infrastructure of the games. The new venues have also been fitted with a variety of mechanisms that will allow for the production of some renewable resources. This include solar panels for electricity and rain water catching devices. Japan has been one of the leaders of environmental issues in Asia, a continent that has caught some flack recently for the amount of waste that it produces. These green initiatives extend past just simply the Tokyo 2020 Games, and will continue to be utilized in years to come.
5).The Next Olympic Golden Girl or Boy
With mainstays of the past 3 Olympic games in Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps being gone, there will be plenty of new faces getting more spot light, with a few new athletes claiming the headlines. We can expect some fan favourites like Simone Bile to be at the top of the list. However, who else could claim the title of poster child for the Summer Olympic Games? Here is a list of some potential candidates. It includes possibly the next fastest man in the world and some others in less mainstream events.
6). New Technology
Japan is constantly trying to push the envelope when it comes to technological development. The country takes pride in being at the forefront of innovation in the fields of science and technology. The last time the Tokyo Olympics were held in 1964, Japan used the international attention to display some new technology and architecture, such as the shinkansen. The 2020 games will be no different, as there are plans to display some prototypes of groundbreaking technology in A.I, transportation and renewable energy sources. If you are interested in knowing more, check out the article which dives a bit deeper into what exactly will be on display.
7). The Ever Expanding Paralympics
The Paralympics has been around for quite sometime, with the first one being held in London, post World War Two. Making its debut in 1948, it was originally hosted under two names: the International Wheelchair Games or The Stoke Mandeville Games. It was actually at the 1964 games in Tokyo that the unofficial name, “The Paralympics” was first used. It wouldn’t be until the 1988 Seoul Summer games that the title of Paralympics would become the official title. Looking back at those games and comparing to where we are now in terms of the equality and exposure is tremendous. This Paralympics will include a record breaking number of events and athletes. There have been other hurdles that have been overcome as of late. Such as the announcement that the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Paralympics will present the same medals as those in the Olympics with the same value. This push for equality means so much to many of the Paralympic athletes.
If you would like to read about the Paralympics the last time they were in Tokyo, check out this first hand account from Australian Paralympic swimmer Elizabeth Edmondson, who won several medals in 1964.
8).Political Friction and Discourse
With there being seemingly lots of friction going on between China and The United States, two of the largest economies in the world, coupled with a multitude of other recent global events occurring in the region, (I.e North Korea), it will be interesting to see how Japan a country caught in seemingly the middle of all of it will choose to handle these games. Will they decide to simply ignore it and use the games as a symbol of unity, or could some real dialogue be brought forward in its wake. Could there be a bitter Olympic rivalry we haven’t seen since the days of the Cold War? It will be interesting to see how Shinzo Abe, and the Japanese government balances these issues. The international media as well will play a vital role in how these games and it’s participants are perceived.
So there you have it. Eight major storylines that will continue to develop in the time leading up to the games. Although the narrative of each of these may change, it is important to know what the focus of so many are on leading up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
If you would like to reach me, you can email me at Shotarohmoore@hotmail.com
