Preparations continue for the hosting of the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games in Tokyo following last September’s IOC vote in Buenos Aires which awarded the Games to the Japanese capital. This month saw the launch of the Tokyo Organising Committee for the Olympic Games headed by former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, who promised to deliver a “superb and reliable Olympics”, which will generate an estimated three trillion yen ($30bn) in economic impact and the creation of 150,000 jobs, according to the committee*.
Of course, the most recent successful Games were held in London 2012, with Tokyo keenly taking notes from the UK capital ahead of its turn. In particular JLGC has been active in the production of briefings and reports in Japanese on London’s experience and legacy. In December officials from the Embassy of Japan, as well as JLGC, were able to participate in a site visit to the Olympic Park aimed at sharing the benefits of London’s successful hosting of the Games and the transformation of Games venues into infrastructure and community use as part of the Legacy aspect.
The group were shown the new housing in the East Village, formerly the Athletes Village used in 2012, which offers a range of apartments in various sizes and rents to promote accessible living at the heart of the Stratford quarter, which is seeing a number of different developments promoted to provide future jobs and growth in East London. On the day of the visit itself, it was announced by the UK Government that a new ‘Olympicopolis’ cultural quarter would be developed by the Mayor of London to bring about a new facility operated by the V&A Museum and University College London.
Other visits included the Velodrome (which will open to the public as the VeloPark in March), the Copper Box Arena operated by the council-owned Greenwich Leisure Limited and the areas of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park already open to the public and some areas around the Olympic Stadium and Aquatic Centre undergoing transformation for post-Games use. The visit, alongside others which have taken place recently such as our hosting of a group of Tokyo Assembly Members, has enabled the Japanese side to consider the most effective and efficient methods of construction and post-Games use. The group were given the tour by officials of the Stratford Renaissance Partnership and London Legacy Development Corporation, to who we are grateful for the benefit of their knowledge and time.
* “The estimated economic ripple effect caused by the holding of 2020 Olympic and Paralympics” The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Website, June 6 2012
(2012年06月08日、2020 年オリンピック・パラリンピック開催に伴う経済波及効果を試算)
http://tokyo2020.jp/jp/news/index.php?mode=page&id=189
