2020 Summer Olympics

Contents

Overview and Background

The selection of Tokyo as host followed a vote by the International Olympic Committee during a session involving bids from Istanbul and Madrid, building on Japan's prior hosting of the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 1972 Winter Olympics bid history, and events such as the Expo 2005 and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster recovery narratives. Planning involved collaboration between the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Japanese Government, the Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan), and private partners including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toyota, Panasonic, NEC Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric, SoftBank, Canon Inc., and Asahi Breweries. Cultural programming referenced works by Hayao Miyazaki, exhibitions at the Tokyo National Museum, and partnerships with the Japan Foundation and the NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). Tokyo's bid emphasized sustainability, accessibility, urban regeneration, and legacy aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The bid process involved the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Japanese Olympic Committee presenting plans that addressed venues like New National Stadium (Tokyo), transport upgrades linked to Tokyo Station, and accommodation strategies using hotels in Shinjuku and Shibuya. Construction contracts were awarded to firms including Taisei Corporation, Kajima Corporation, and Obayashi Corporation. Security planning engaged the National Police Agency (Japan), the Self-Defense Forces, and private security firms, while marketing campaigns featured celebrities managed by Johnny & Associates and partnerships with broadcasters such as NHK and Olympic Broadcasting Services. Legacy promises referenced urban projects in Ariake, Odaiba, and the Yokohama area with coordination from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Japan).

The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented postponement and required coordination among the World Health Organization, the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese Government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the Chinese Olympic Committee, the Russian Olympic Committee, and the European Olympic Committees. Public health measures included testing regimes overseen by World Anti-Doping Agency-aligned laboratories, vaccine negotiations involving Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, athlete quarantine protocols influenced by the International Air Transport Association, and legal reviews referencing the Constitution of Japan and emergency powers used during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami recovery. The pandemic affected ticketing managed by The Japan Sport Council and broadcasting rights held by NBCUniversal, BBC Studios, NHK, and Eurosport, prompting debates in the Diet of Japan and challenges for corporate partners such as Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Japan Post Holdings.

Opening and closing ceremonies were staged at New National Stadium (Tokyo), designed by Kengo Kuma, with artistic elements referencing Shinto aesthetics and performances involving artists represented by Johnny & Associates and the Avex Group. Competition venues included Ariake Arena, Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Yumenoshima Park Archery Field, Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, Sea Forest Waterway, Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre, Baji Koen (Equestrian Park), Odaiba Marine Park for open-water events, and temporary arenas in Ariake. Ceremonial protocols followed International Olympic Committee guidelines and included the raising of flags hosted by the International Paralympic Committee liaison, with medal ceremonies officiated by IOC members and representatives from World Athletics, FINA, FIFA, International Judo Federation, and other federations.

The sports program featured additions and changes approved by the International Olympic Committee Session, incorporating skateboarding, sport climbing, karate, baseball/softball, and surfing alongside established sports such as athletics, swimming, gymnastics, basketball, boxing, wrestling, fencing, rowing, sailing, shooting, archery, weightlifting, table tennis, badminton, cycling, equestrian, and tennis. International federations including World Rugby, World Archery Federation, International Boxing Association (AIBA), World Taekwondo, and International Basketball Federation managed qualification pathways through continental championships and world ranking systems. New qualification events were affected by calendars of organizations such as ATP, WTA, World Athletics, and UCI.

Athlete participation involved National Olympic Committees including the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the Chinese Olympic Committee, the Russian Olympic Committee under designation due to sanctions, the British Olympic Association, the Australian Olympic Committee, and newly participating delegations from territories coordinated by the International Olympic Committee. The official mascots, chosen by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, drew on Japanese pop culture influences linked to creators who have worked with Studio Ghibli and design houses collaborating with Takashi Murakami. The Games also featured continental teams and refugee athletes organized through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees partnership.

Legacy debates engaged stakeholders including the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Japanese Olympic Committee, local residents in Koto, Tokyo and Katsushika, business groups like the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), and cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Controversies involved cost overruns scrutinized by the Board of Audit of Japan, political disputes involving members of the Diet (Japan), protests by labor unions affiliated with the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), and athlete welfare concerns raised by the World Players Association and human rights groups referencing global events like the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2022 Winter Olympics. Doping cases were handled by the World Anti-Doping Agency and sanctioning bodies; venue legacy plans tied to urban redevelopment projects in Ariake and Harumi aim to influence future bids, tourism strategies by the Japan National Tourism Organization, and academic analysis from institutions such as University of Tokyo and Waseda University.