Tokyo has billed itself as a safe hosting city for the Olympics after corruption dogged the Rio GamesGETTY IMAGES
Tokyo is on the Olympic clock as it preps to host the '20 Games, and Japan wants to use the event to "remind the rest of the world that China and South Korea haven’t left behind the first economic powerhouse in East Asia," according to Wade & Yamaguchi of the AP. Tokyo will use the Games to "showcase a clean, safe and innovative city; an urban maze of nightlife, shopping and dizzying subway lines that give texture to 'Cool Japan' and Japan’s place as a cultural touchstone." Tokyo 2020 Exec Dir of Communications & Engagement Maki Kobayashi-Terada said, "It’s going to be a good opportunity to showcase Japanese culture, our technology, our products, our good level of service to give impetus to the Japanese economy." Tokyo has billed itself as a "safe pair of hands" for the Olympics after corruption dogged the '16 Rio Games and a "doping scandal grew out" of the '14 Sochi Games. This also marks the "first of three return-to-normal Summer Games in first-world metropolises." The Olympics also will be used to "convince the world about the safety of Fukushima after the nuclear crisis" triggered by the '11 earthquake and tsunami. Tokyo organizers said the Games will cost about $12.5B, though IOC member John Coates, who is overseeing Tokyo’s plans, noted that the city "had cut" $1.4B from the price tag. Some venues have been "moved to other areas, and existing venues will be used instead of building new ones" (AP, 2/27).
TECH RACE: CNBC.com's Blanche Lim noted the Pyeongchang Games has been "hailed as the most tech-centric ever, but Tokyo now wants to beat that record" in '20. TOCOG Dir of Communications Masa Takaya said, "Tokyo 2020 is on track to deliver the most innovative Games in history." Cisco President for Asia Pacific & Japan Miyuki Suzuki said that the '20 Tokyo Games will "'absolutely' surpass this, given that high definition 8K television and 5G technology 'should be available by then.'" Cisco is an official TOCOG partner for network equipment, and Takaya said the committee has already "observed top-tier corporate sponsors investing in innovation" toward '20 (CNBC.com, 2/26).
