Reconstruction and Wit to Feature in Tokyo Ceremonies

(ATR) The executive director for Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies says Japan’s continued rebirth since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami will be a featured theme for the showpieces.

"We want the ceremonies to be high quality and to express the Japanese spirit," Mansai Nomura, chief executive creative director, said at a news conference today in Tokyo.

"I want the ceremonies to be full of wit. From tradition to the cutting edge, Japan has many methods and ideas that are full of wit. We want to make full use of those things in the ceremonies."

Nomura is an acclaimed kyogen actor, a Japanese traditional comedic form of acting. In addition to his accomplished stage career, Nomura has starred in contemporary films as well.

Tokyo 2020 has emphasized the recovery of the country after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami devastated northeast Japan. Tokyo 2020’s executive board visited Fukushima this week to hold an executive board meeting, and the region will receive extra attention during the 2020 Olympic Torch Relay. The relay will begin in Fukushima, before returning to Miyagi and Iwate prefectures for three days in each.

The opening games of the baseball and softball Olympic tournaments will also take place in Fukushima.

"[Japan has] experienced war and being victims to natural disasters, this devastation and tragedy," Nomura said. "With this in mind, we need to turn our eyes to life.

"The earth is a repetition of death and life and in this cycle we are alive."

Joining Nomura on the creative team is Takashi Yamazaki, director of the acclaimed Japanese film "Always: Sunset on Third Street," as executive creative director for the two Olympic ceremonies. Hiroshi Sasaki will be executive creative director for the two Paralympic ceremonies.

Sakai is best known for a series of commercials for cell phone carrier SoftBank, as well as the Tokyo 2020 handover ceremony at the Rio de Janeiro closing ceremony.

Sakai said that a challenge for his role will be to create an experience more memorable than his handover ceremony. During the handover, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appeared in a Mario costume to promote Tokyo 2020.

"This time I will work on the Paralympic ceremonies, and there is something that I would like to avoid," Sakai said at the press conference. "There will be a lot of media attention after the Olympics on what happened and how many medals each country won, but then we will be asking for your support in giving energy to the Paralympics. I am under pressure to give a good preview for the Paralympic Games to increase people’s expectations."

Tokyo 2020 says the goal for the ceremonies will be to connect each as "a single continuum". Nomura said that the creative team will give thought on how to bridge that gap with "something that is Japanese, but at the same time has a worldwide message."

Traditionally the opening and closing ceremony in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games are connected, but the themes between the two vary.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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