Press Release - Tokyo 2020 Announces details of "Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival""

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020)

unveiled the updated programme for the "Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival" in 2021; this has been revised in light of

the need for COVID-19 countermeasures and the simplified management of the Games. The Festival, an official

cultural programme of the Tokyo 2020 Games, will be held from April to September 2021. The revised content will

follow the original themes of the programme planned for 2020: "Participation and Interaction", "Towards the

Realisation of an Inclusive Society" and "Reconstruction of the Tohoku Region". In principle, the events will be

streamed live over the internet so that as many people as possible across Japan and around the world can

participate in and enjoy the events.

Based on the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, Olympism—a concept underpinning the NIPPON

Festival—seeks to blend sport with culture and education in order to promote a peaceful way of life based on the

educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

For this reason, as well as being a sports festival, the Olympic and Paralympic Games are known as a "festival of

peace".

The cultural and artistic elements of the NIPPON Festival are designed to inspire people, and in the wake of the

social fragmentation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme aims to be a symbol of human solidarity

that will transcend boundaries and encourage global cooperation.

An overview of each programme is provided below. The Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival official website

(https://tokyo2020.org/en/special/festival/) will be updated as details of all programmes are firmed up.

In addition to programmes organised by Tokyo 2020, co-hosted Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival events will be staged

in collaboration with local governments and cultural- or arts groups across Japan; these aim to encourage greater awareness of diversity in the build-up to the Tokyo 2020 Games. They will also showcase Japanese culture and art

across Japan and globally before and during the Games. Details of the updated co-hosted programmes are also

provided in the attached appendix and via the Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival official website at

https://tokyo2020.org/en/special/festival/.

Details of Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival Programme

Tokyo 2020 will host three cultural programmes; these will embody the Tokyo 2020 Games Vision and the festival

concept "Blooming of Culture" and perform a leading role in the overall festival, aiming to boost expectations of

the Games and promote the Olympic Movement as well as to leave a cultural legacy for the future.

‘wassai’ is a coined word that combines the two Japanese words "wa" and "sai". "Wa" can actually be written with

several different characters, each with a different meaning, including 輪 ("circle"), 環 ("unity") and 和

("peace"). "Sai" means festival in Japanese.

The Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival is therefore a special event that aims to unite the world through "wa", while

providing people with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience of Japanese culture and enjoy new encounters.

Location: Online (via live streaming)

Content: The virtual Olympic Stadium is the stage. Details of how to participate in the event will be

announced once they are fixed.

General Director: SUGANO Komei

SUGANO Komei started his career as director of Japan’s "Kosakai kun no Osumashi de" show

in 1986. He directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 12th Asian Games in

Hiroshima in 1994 and the Night Festival prior to the FIFA World Cup final in 2002. He has

translated and directed Broadway musicals such as Footloose, The Producers and Guys and

Dolls, and has recently become an enthusiastic director of original musicals.

Sugano’s message:

NIPPON is a country of big "WA".

NIPPON is a country where people live peacefully in harmony with one another.

The idea of "WA" has been rooted in us since ancient times.

People in Japan believe that nature - even a small stone - can reflect your thoughts,

and have long valued all of the blessings that come from nature and the world.

Our respect for the connections between people has created "WA" (unity),

the unity has created "WA" (circles),

and the circles have created "WA" (peace).

We want people around the world to understand our values.

We want people across the globe to see them for themselves.

To this end, we decided to hold a festival,

a new online festival where we can connect remotely.

where the world can connect and create an event with peace of mind.

That festival is called "wassai".

Tonight, people around the world will communicate, dance and connect with one another by making a big circle.

The world will be united in one "WA" (circle).

The world can be united in "WA" (peace).

Please join us and help us create this new wassai festival!

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