Fifty-six years after Japan and Asia made history by hosting the Olympics for the first time in 1964, the Games are returning to the capital of the Land of the Rising Sun! With more than 11,000 athletes hailing from 200 nations, the Games of the XXXII Olympiad are set to be among the most spectacular sporting events that the world has ever seen.
Here, we give you the most essential information about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that you should know before taking your big trip:
The Dates
The 2020 Summer Olympic Games are set to be held from July 24 to August 9—that’s a total of 17 days of thrilling and heart-warming moments.
Here are the key dates to take note of:
July 24 – Opening Ceremony at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium
July 25 – The games begin
July 31-August 9 – The finals of the athletics
August 9 – Closing Ceremony
Meanwhile, the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games will take place from August 25 to September 6.
In total, Tokyo 2020 boasts 540 events across various sports.
The Sports
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will excite the world with 339 events encompassing 33 sports and 50 disciplines. In an effort to capture the youth’s attention, five sports will also be featured for the first time ever: baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing.
The following are the sports and disciplines you will witness at the 2020 Olympics:
Aquatics: artistic swimming, diving, swimming, water polo
Archery
Athletics
Badminton
Baseball: baseball, softball
Basketball: basketball, 3-on-3 basketball
Boxing
Canoeing: slalom, sprint
Climbing
Cycling: BMX freestyle, BMX racing, mountain biking, road cycling, track cycling
Equestrian: dressage, eventing, jumping
Fencing
Field hockey
Football
Golf
Gymnastics: artistic, rhythmic, trampoline
Handball
Judo
Karate: kata, kumite
Modern pentathlon
Rowing
Rugby sevens
Sailing
Shooting
Skateboarding
Surfing
Table tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Triathlon
Volleyball: volleyball, beach volleyball
Weightlifting
Wrestling: freestyle, Greco-Roman
The Venues
A total of 43 venues will be utilized for the Games, and the competition venues are spread out into two themed locations. The Heritage Zone, where the 1964 Olympics was held, will house seven venues, while the new Tokyo Bay Zone will be the largest, containing 13 venues. Sports with specific requirements will be held at outlying venues.
To symbolize the country’s legacy of hosting the Games as well as the link between the past, present, and future, the Heritage Zone and Tokyo Bay Zone are being built to overlap each other and form the infinity symbol.
Meet the Mascots
The official mascots have the kids’ approval! To create the poster characters for next year’s Games, the help of 6.5 million children across Japan’s primary schools were sought during the designing process.
Miraitowa, who carries the Tokyo 2020 emblem on its head and across its body, is a futuristic indigo-blue character. It has a strong sense of justice and a personality derived from a traditional Japanese proverb that means to learn old things and to gain new knowledge from them. Miraitowa is known to have the special ability of moving anywhere instantly.
Joining Miraitowa as Tokyo 2020’s official characters is Someity, the 2020 Paralympic mascot. The pink charmer has cherry blossom petal-shaped sensors and boasts three superpowers—telepathy, telekinesis, and the ability to fly with its special cloak. A lover of nature, Someity has a dignified inner strength.
Getting Tickets
At the moment, tickets to the 2020 Olympics are scored through a lottery run on the official website of the Games and only Japanese nationals are eligible to join it. Overseas fans can purchase tickets through Authorized Ticket Resellers (ATRs) appointed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), while the general ticket sale on the official website will be opened in the spring of 2020.
The Torch Relay
Coinciding with the sakura season, the 2020 Torch Relay will prove to be among the most scenic of its kind. The Relay will commence on May 26, 2020, will last for 121 days, and will cross all 47 prefectures in Japan, starting in Fukushima and then move southward.
With the theme “Hope Lights Our Way,” the Torch Relay of the 2020 Summer Olympics will make a meaningful stop at various locations in the Tohoku region, to deliver a message of hope, unity, and support to the areas devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Getting Around
The organizing committee of Tokyo 2020 selected the Tokyo Metro Co. Ltd. (Tokyo Metro) and the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) as official partners in the second domestic tier of the 2020 Tokyo Sponsorship Programme to provide safe and comfortable transportation services to the Games’ spectators.
Your Essentials
If you’re taking a trip to Tokyo to witness the massive sporting spectacle, make sure to equip yourself with the essentials that will make your Olympic adventure easier:
Airport Transfer
Choose a hassle-free way to get to the city center from Narita International Airport or Tokyo Haneda Airport!
Tokyo Airport (NRT) Airport Transfer to Tokyo with Tokyo Skytree Observatory Ticket
One-way Private Transfer between Narita International Airport (NRT) and Tokyo
One-way Private Transfer between Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) and Tokyo
SIM Card and Portable Wi-Fi
Stay connected during your trip!
Japan Prepaid 4G SIM Card (Pickup at Japan Airports)
Japan Unlimited 4G Portable Wi-Fi Rental (Pickup at Japan Airports)
JR Pass
Hop on a Shinkansen and travel across Japan comfortably and conveniently!
All Japan JR Pass (delivers to various locations)
JR East Japan Suica Card (Airport Pickup)
JR East-South Hokkaido Pass (delivers to various locations)
Tokyo Metro Tickets
Reach Tokyo 2020’s multiple venues with ease!
Tokyo Subway 24/48/72-Hour Ticket
