'Festival squares' eyed for '20 Games

Aug 17, 2017 | News On Japan

Aug 17, 2017 (the-japan-news.com) - Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are discussing a plan to establish "festival squares" in three locations in Tokyo, where people without tickets can enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of the Games through public viewing events and other gatherings during the competition.

The metropolitan government and the organizing committee are aiming to broadcast sports events live on big screens at the festival squares, enabling visitors to cheer on athletes. They will also serve as a place for foreign visitors to mingle with local people, according to the plan.

But there are issues that need to be overcome, such as how to provide security at the venues and surrounding areas.

According to the plan, events such as public viewings, panel disucssions with popular athletes, sections allowing visitors to experience Olympic and Paralympic events and photo exhibitions are currently being discussed for the festival squares.

Sponsors of the Games will be able to set up booths, and official Olympic goods will be available.

At past Olympics, stadiums and other venues were concentrated in a certain area of host cities to form so-called Olympic Park hubs. At the Tokyo Games, the new National Stadium will be constructed in Tokyo as the main venue, but other venues will be located across a wide range of areas to trim costs. For example, wrestling and fencing events will be conducted in Chiba, while Saitama will host basketball. As a result, there are no plans to establish an Olympic Park for the Tokyo Games.

It will also likely be difficult to purchase tickets for popular events in which Japanese athletes are expected to win medals, such as judo, baseball and swimming. Thus, organizers decided it would be best to set up festival spaces where anyone can visit so that a greater number of people can enjoy the atmosphere of the Games and also give a boost to the competition.

According to sources, there are eight candidate areas for festival squares: waterfront areas of Aomi and Ariake, as well as Hibiya, Ueno, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Shibuya, Shinagawa and Tama. A waterfront area, Hibiya Park and Ueno Park have emerged as leading candidates, the sources said. The venues will be officially decided sometime next year or later.

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