Tokyo 2020 Changes Communication Strategy

(ATR) Tokyo 2020 says a restructuring of its organization should provide more communication with International Federations.

Earlier this year at the annual SportAccord Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, federations publicly raised concerns with Tokyo 2020’s opaque attitude towards sport preparations. World Sailing chief executive Andy Hunt said preparations, for the upcoming test event, "are probably a year behind" schedule.

Tokyo 2020 spokesperson Masa Takaya told Around the Rings that in Japanese culture, executives "tend to make the things 100 percent completed before communicating" with appropriate stakeholders. This operating structure has been at odds with International Federations, which prefer to be updated as preparations go along.

"Whenever we receive the delegations from the IOC and IPC we always have a great feedback from the organizations," Takaya said. "Thankfully [IOC Executive Director] Christophe Dubi mentioned that Tokyo 2020 left "no stones unturned" from that stage thanks to the organizational changes and improved relations with the federations."

Tokyo 2020 shifted Hidemasa Nakamura to a new role in the organizing committee to specifically liaise with the federations. According to organizers Nakamura is already working with Tokyo 2020 Sports Director Koji Morufushi to address issues.

IOC Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission chair John Coates said in an interview with Kyodo News that resolving communication impasses is "a message we continue to impress" on organizers.

Coates said that there are a number of sports such as karate, judo, swimming, and baseball/softball that should be easy to organize given their popularity in Japan. However, he believes organizers should lean on federations for help in sports that are not as well known by the locals.

"You go to rowing, canoeing, some of those sports, and it is going to need greater reliance…in terms of operational planning," Coates suggested in the interview. "In rowing you have locals who drive the speed boats, and you have to make sure they are trained so they know how far to sit back behind the crews and understand the importance of not creating wakes. Some of those things are going to need a lot more attention, in some sports more than others."

Ticket Prices Announced

The cheapest tickets for sports at the Tokyo Olympics will be priced at ¥2,500 ($22).

Tokyo 2020 revealed its ticketing pricing structure today, after the IOC Executive Board approved the competition schedule for the Games. Organizers said that half of tickets will be priced under ¥8,000 ($71).

For sporting events prices will range from ¥2,500($22) to ¥130,000 ($1,157). Prices for the ceremonies will range from ¥12,000 ($107) to ¥300,000 ($2,669).

Some tickets will be available at a ceremonial ¥2,020 ($18) price. Those tickets are reserved for Japanese families with "children, senior citizens or individuals with impairments".

Road events such as the marathon, road cycling, triathlon, and race walk will have designated free viewing spaces around the city.

Tokyo 2020 says it will present the ticket buying schedule in August. Japanese residents will be able to purchase online, while international spectators must purchase tickets through authorized ticket resellers. The list of resellers will be published next spring.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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