Heat, Transportation and Rugby World Cup Top Press Briefing Talks

(ATR) Media covering the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be subjected to the same tribulations as other Olympic visitors.

At the second World Press Briefing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, reporters heard from Tokyo 2020, IOC and Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials on how to best prepare for the Games, now 10 months away.

Most importantly: how to cope with the heat and long travel distances.

Without a central Olympic park, similar to what have been in place at recent Olympics, venues for Tokyo are flung throughout a sprawling metropolis. And, it might not be enough to rely on official Olympic transportation networks. Credentialed media will also likely have to use Tokyo’s subway system.

For comparison’s sake a trip from the Main Press Center site to the National Stadium on the train can take 49 minutes and includes a transfer. That point was not lost to members of the press corps who will also likely be hauling large amounts of equipment.

A more pressing concern might be the scorching summer temperatures for Tokyo. An ominous sign was the record-setting temperatures that roasted Tokyo this summer.

Koji Aoki, Tokyo 2020 Photo Chief lamented in his presentation "oh, it was so hot" multiple times. He offered practical wisdom to gird your strength: have a glass of water before you fall asleep.

Some 250 delegates attended the briefing. In addition to larger countries, there were representatives from Malaysian, Bangladeshi, Uzbek and Iranian organizations.

While there was lots of advice dished out, attendees grumbled privately that many of the complaints raised in the first briefing had not been addressed by this briefing.

Japan’s Brave Blossoms rugby team have made a surprise showing in the ongoing Rugby World Cup, also being hosted in Japan. The enthusiasm that’s bloomed following their success spread to the briefing. Tokyo’s Olympic organizers were keen to point out not only their prowess on the pitch, but abilities as event organizers. At one point, as a guidepost for how far Japan has progressed, their 1995 match against the dominant New Zealand All Blacks was mentioned. The final score 17 for Japan, just barely edged out by New Zealand’s 145 points.

The World Press Briefing is a nuts-and-bolts preview for NOCs, reporters, photographers and other deliverers of Olympic news. Typically three briefings are held before the Summer Olympics but Tokyo 2020 cut the number to two and held a separate briefing for news agencies, including the Associated Press, Agence France Press and others.

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