Bid City Blog from Tokyo: English Spoken, Media Count, Fashionwear

Taro Aso pledged to the IOC the full support of his government in English. (ATR/Panasonic:Lumix) English Spoken Here

Consistent with a declaration that English is the official language of the IOC Evaluation Commission visit, Tokyo 2016 has delivered in English at each of its press conferences, which include top-level simultaneous interpretation.

Prime Minister Taro Aso delivered the entirety of his remarks to the IOC in English while Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara made the effort to use English for part of his speech.

Bid consultant Jon Tibbs and colleague Sevi Hubert both put in long working with the Tokyo team to perfect their IOC presentations. Tibbs has interjected himself into the press conferences as guest moderator after a bumpy open for Tokyo Thursday night, a la Mike Lee with Salzburg in 2007. The British media consultant took charge of the microphone after an opening presser during the IOC visit went awry.

Spokesman Yoshimitsu Kaji opens the briefings in English, with Yosuke Fujiwara also assisting with handling of the press conferences. Kaji is a Nissan executive who has been aboard for two weeks. Fujiwara, formerly with Beijing Olympic Broadcasting and other host broadcast operations, has also been an executive at NHK.

Presentation Room Offers Serene Scene

Not unlike its rivals in the race for 2016, Tokyo 2016 is using a hotel ballroom for its presentations to the IOC, building a room inside with four walls and a ceiling. A look inside the presentation room for Tokyo 2016. (ATR/Panasonic:Lumix)

The room is minimally decorated, with muted off-white and grey colors, creating an open, airy, somewhat Zen-like feel.

Just outside the entrance to the room stands a mirror to allow presenters to check their appearance before stepping onto the floor.

High Interest for Japan Press, International Media Muted

Bid media staff have their hands full herding the large press corps from Japanese media through the past few days of photo opportunities and press conferences.

Biggest splash of the visit was the venue tour Friday where a mob of more than 150 media representatives waited the IOC delegation at the site of the proposed Olympic Stadium.

The numbers easily top the press turnout for similar press events held for the Chicago bid last week.

Middling is the turnout for overseas journalists, most specialists in Olympics coverage. News agencies are showing little interest in the visit, about as much it seems as media in the other three bid cities. Zilch presence from Chicago press, same for Rio De Janeiro. A reporter from EFE based in Tokyo has been a regular, as well as one more Spanish reporter who is on the move to all four cities.

Blue Men Endorse Bid

Not much opposition to the bid seems evident to Western eyes and ears, even skeptically-phrased questions from the Japanese media at press conferences. The mild-mannered group of protestors at the Olympic Stadium site Friday seems to have been the extent of overt anti-Games feelings. The Tokyo bid book says that the Communists are the only political party to officially oppose the Games.

But while the Reds may say no, the Blue Men say yes to the Olympics. The roof of the theater for the Tokyo troupe of the Blue Man Group carries a message of support for the bid shown in the picture. It's visible to journalists looking down from the 49th floor of the building coincidentally the site of the 2016 press center. Tokyo 2016 Executive Board member Mikako Kotani wears the red version of the Tokyo scarf. (ATR/Panasonic:Lumix)

Tie One On

Tokyo 2016 staffers are sporting neckwear patterned on the logo and palette of the bid, the colors varying by the day. Men have the ties, women scarves. Chicago 2016 had a similar riff, with a different color from its logo each day as the background for a field of stars representing the flag of the city. Rio de Janeiro: what's in store for your necks, next?

With reporting from Ed Hula in Tokyo.

For comments or questions,click here.