Tokyo 2020 Honoured and Excited to Make IOC Shortlist

The Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee, Japan’s bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, is honoured with the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to appoint Tokyo as a 2020 Candidate City. Tokyo’s bid has learned valuable lessons from its previous bid, and looks forward to the extraordinary journey ahead of securing the greatest honour of playing host to the 2020 Games.

President of Tokyo 2020 and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), Tsunekazu Takeda, said:

"We are delighted that Tokyo has been accepted as a Candidate City, and I would like to personally thank the IOC for this decision. I also would like to give my warmest thanks to all of those involved in the Bid for your efforts in creating a spectacular Games plan.

We have a strong desire to generate dreams, hopes, goals and positive change across the world through the power of sports. Tokyo 2020 will be Games of excellence and excitement staged in the world’s most forward-thinking city, and will feature world-class infrastructure and technology, powered by the energy of our young people. We have kept the best and improved the rest from our previous bid, and are determined more than ever to produce the best Games Plan ahead of the Election of the Host City in September next year."

Japanese Prime Minister and Tokyo 2020 Supreme Advisor, Yoshihiko Noda, said:

"It is a true honour for Tokyo to be accepted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)Executive Board as a Candidate City for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games has enormous significance in terms of promoting international goodwill and the advancement of sports. It also will serve as a symbol of Japan’s recovery from last year’s tragedy. With the Japanese government’s full support for Tokyo’s bid, our nation greatly desires to achieve the goal of hosting the Games."

Governor of Tokyo and Tokyo 2020 Chairman, Shintaro Ishihara, said:

"It is a great pleasure and true honour that Tokyo has been accepted as a Candidate City. Should we be successful in securing the honour of hosting the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, it will be an extraordinary opportunity to welcome and thank the international friends who supported our nation and our people during these difficult times, while also showcasing the extraordinary power of sport – to heal, unite and inspire all kinds of positive change.

Today, we took another new step forward in the 2020 bidding journey. I strongly believe that the International Olympic Committee will value Tokyo’s well known assets of innovative and efficient transport, wealth of quality accommodation, and unrivaled infrastructure to deliver Games of excellence, excitement and innovation.

Through unilateral governmental backing with the support of National Sports Federations, working together as a unified and cohesive team with the business world and sports community, we are eager to realise the lifelong dream of hosting the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games here in Tokyo."

Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Tokyo 2020 Special Advisor, Hirofumi Hirano, said:

"Tokyo’s selection as a Candidate City for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a great honour for both Tokyo 2020 and the entire nation of Japan. The selection is a direct result of the tremendous effort and passion of everyone involved in our bid. It acknowledges the value of our unique concept to host the most compact urban Games in history, and recognises Japan’s accomplished record of having hosted many successful international sports events. Hosting the Games at this time would also give us the opportunity to show the international community our recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, is working closely with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Japanese Olympic Committee, and will now make an all-out effort to bring the Games to Japan in 2020."

For further inquiries: Masa Takaya

Communications Manager, Japanese Olympic Committee

Acting Communications Director, Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee

Phone: +81 3 6279 0049 / Email: pressoffice@tokyo2020.jp

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