On Tuesday, 23^rd June, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic committee announced that June 23^rd will be known as Olympic and Paralympic Day presented by Toyota. It will mark a change in the United States to include the values of the Paralympic movement in the worldwide day of recognition. The day will be highlighted by Team USA athletes, National governing bodies, and community groups.

The USOPC worked in partnership with the International Olympic and Paralympic Committee. The event is held annually on June 23^rd recognized as the Olympic and Paralympic day in the United States.

Also Read: Tokyo 2020 Olympics Postponed due to Coronavirus Pandemic

The day is meant to celebrate well being, fitness, sports culture, and educational opportunities, along with promoting the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect, and also the paralympic values of inspiration, determination, equality, and courage.

Paralympic track and field gold medallist David Brown said “This is a monumental step to see the two movements join together to celebrate the value that sports brings to the world, no matter what your sport is, what your body looks like or how you play the game. It means the world to me to be able to share all that I have gained through sports with my community, and hopefully, we inspire the next generation of Olympians and Paralympians along the way”.

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Teams USA’s social and digital channels are all set to celebrate this historic day. The event will include the content of a live workout on TikTok with two- time paralympic medallist Hunter Woodhall, and an Instagram live Q&A with Olympic hopeful Michael Norman and two-time Paralympian Jarryd Wallace.

USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland also commented “The change made this year to include the Paralympic Movement is another milestone in our ongoing efforts to elevate our Paralympic athletes and increase awareness for Paralympic sport in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Day joins together athletes and fans from around the world, embracing the unifying power of sport and the inclusivity that the movements bring.

Since 2017, Toyota has been supporting Olympic Day in the U.S and this time will be an official partner of Team USA, the IOC, and IPC.

Ed Laukes, group vice president Toyota Marketing Toyota Motor North America, said “Thank you to the IOC, IPC, and USOPC for their continued partnership as we collectively strive to elevate awareness of the Paralympics with the first-ever Olympic and Paralympic Day presented by Toyota”. “We’re proud of the progress that has been made to advance the Paralympics in the U.S and we remain passionately committed to the movement. We’re thrilled to celebrate the day with the NGB partners, Team Toyota athletes, Toyota team members, and the U.S Olympic and Paralympic family”.

The day will also be celebrated by the IOC’s social and digital accounts, which will include the content from the Olympic champion Laurie Hernandez, 13- time Paralympian champion Jessica Long and Olympian Colleen Quigley.

Participants are invited to join the global conversation using #OlympicParalympicDay.

The International Olympic Committee has unveiled the Tokyo Olympics 2020 full planning which is postponed in 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic. The prime focus of the planning is to rationalize the costs without compromising with the standard of the sport and also to look after the facilities for the athletes.

Also Read: Tokyo 2020 Olympics Postponed due to Coronavirus Pandemic

Tokyo 2020 Planning

Tokyo 2020 which was scheduled to be played from July 24, 2020, has been postponed due to coronavirus pandemic. The IOC is once again committed to making Tokyo 2020 a cost-effective game. Without impacting the athlete experience or compromising the conduct of the competition, the sports department is closely working with Tokyo 2020 authorities.

Also, the ASOIF Olympic and Multi-Sports Games Consultative Group (AOMSG) will identify and look after the suitable areas for cost savings and optimizations. It will be later addressed on a sport-specific basis with each IF.

On 14^th May 2020, the IOC executive board meeting was conducted remotely where the decision was taken that the 13^6th IOC session will be held virtually on 17^th July 2020. Also, all those who want to follow, live streaming will be conducted. Also, the next remote meetings of EB are scheduled to take place on 10^th June and 15^th, 22^nd July. The last one will be followed up on the IOC Session results.

Also Read: Why Hosting The Olympics isn’t Worth it Anymore?

IOC returns to Olympic House

To follow the health regulations of the WHO and the Swiss authorities, the IOC has decided to work from home until 8^th June. IOC has clearly stated for the moment there will be no meetings to be organized at the Olympic house with the representatives from the external organizations.  All the meetings will be conducted virtually and the next update will be released soon.

Finally, it is confirmed that the 2020 Summer Olympics scheduled to begin from 24^th July in Tokyo have been postponed due to coronavirus pandemic. Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe in a statement on Thursday, said that the Olympics 2020 games will be rescheduled to 2021. It is for the first time in the 124 year Olympics history, that the event has been moved or delayed during peacetime.

Japanese Prime Minister said, “We have agreed that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be held by the summer of 2021 at least”.

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the International Olympics Committee and the Tokyo Olympic Games organizers were under huge pressure to postpone the games, however, the IOC and organizers were till date insisted on playing the games as planned.

Recently the two Olympic participating nations, Canada and Australia stated that they would abandon the games if they are scheduled as planned, while the UK and US too insisted to delay the games.

On Tuesday, 24^th March, Abe spoke with IOC president Thomas Bach and other officials, confirming that the games would not take place in 2020, according to the joint statement issued by IOC and Tokyo Organising committee.

The statement says “The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan”.

This is not for the first time, the important event of the Olympic Games has been canceled – in 1916, 1940 and 1944 and the Winter games have been withdrawn twice, in 1940 and 1944, during the world war. The venue for the 1920 summer Olympics was Antwerp and Belgium scheduled from April to September, mainly during the outbreak of the 1918 Influenza pandemic.

Also despite the outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika Virus, the organizers successfully held the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Due to the postponement of the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, Japan is estimated to bear the huge financial loss. According to some estimates, Japan had invested around $32 billion to $41 billion to build venues and hotel venues. The big event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games was expected to attract around 10000 athletes and 5 million visitors from different parts of the world.

Local businesses were expected to earn huge revenue from this big event, but due to the unprecedented postponement of the games, they will suffer huge losses as both the foreign tourists and locals will stay away from the event.

Also, major sporting events like NBA, NHL, English Premier League and the Euro 2020 tournament, were forced to cancel before the Olympic games. Also events like Mobile World Congress, Coachella and SXSW have been pushed ahead of their planned schedule.

One of the major sporting events of the year, the 2020 Summer Olympics games is all set to kick start soon on 24^th July and will conclude on 9^th August 2020. These the venue for the Summer Olympics and Paralympics event is scheduled to take place at the capital city of Japan.

Here we will be discussing the prominent occasion of the Olympics which is a Torch Relay.

What is the Olympics Torch Relay?

Olympics Torch Relay is a traditional ceremony of lighting the Olympic Flame, which will take place in the Olympic city of Ancient Olympia. The Flame is lit under the rays of the Sun, to ensure purity. Also, the Olympic flames represent the positive values that a man holds and associated with the fire.

The Torch Relay also underlines the profound connection between the two events of the Ancient and Modern Olympic Games.

2020 Summer Olympics Torch

The 2020 Summer Olympics Torch is going to travel through the 47 prefectural capitals of Japan, and will also go to the remote islands of the Tokyo. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch is designed by Tokujin Yoshioka, unveiled on 19^th March 2019. The Torch design is inspired by Cheery Blossom resembling the petal-shaped columns around the tip of the torch.

Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics Torch Rally Route/Schedule

It will spend 15 days in the Tokyo Metropolitan area and also extra three days in four prefectures each that are going to host multiple Olympic events at Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Shizouka.

Below you will find the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics Torch Rally Route

Day	Date	Prefecture	Route
1	26th March 2020	Fukushima	Naraha to Minamisoma
2	27th March 2020	Fukushima	Soma to Aizuwakamatsu
3	28th March 2020	Fukushima	Minamiazu to Koriyama
4	29th March 2020	Tochigi	Ashikaga to Nasukarasuyama
5	30th March 2020	Tochigi	Nasu to Utsunomiya
6	31st March 2020	Gunma	Tatebayashi to Maebashi
7	1st April 2020	Gunma	Shibukawa to Takasaki
8	2nd April 2020	Nagano	Karuizawa to Nagano
9	3rd April 2020	Nagano	Lida to Matsumoto
10	4th April 2020	Gifu	Nakatsugawa to Takayama
11	5th April 2020	Gifu	Gero to Gifu
12	6th April 2020	Aichi	Seto to Nagoya
13	7th April 2020	Aichi	Toyohashi to Toyota
14	8th April 2020	Mie	Yokkaichi to Ise
15	9th April 2020	Mie	Iga to Kumano
16	10th April 2020	Wakayama	Shingu to Wakayama
17	11 th April 2020	Wakayama	Wakayama to Hashimbo
18	12th April 2020	Nara	Gojo to Kashihara
19	13th April 2020	Nara	Kashiba to Nara
20	14th April 2020	Osaka	Sakai to Suita
21	15th April 2020	Osaka	Izumiostu to Osaka
22	16th April 2020	Tokushima	Miyoshi to Naruto
23	17th April 2020	Tokushima	Kaiyo to Tokushima
24	18th April 2020	Kagawa	Utazu to Kanonji
25	19th April 2020	Kagawa	Sakaide to Takamatsu
26	20th April 2020	Kochi	Kochi to Sukumo
27	21st April 2020	Kochi	Nankoku to Kochi
28	22nd April 2020	Ehime	Shikokuchuo to Matsuyama
29	23rd April 2020	Ehime	Tobe to Yawatahama
30	24th April 2020	Olta	Beppu to Hita
31	25th April 2020	Olta	Kusu to Olta
32	26th April 2020	Miyazaki	Takachiho to Miyazaki
33	27th April 2020	Miyazaki	Miyazaki to Ebino
34	28th April 2020	Kagoshima	Shibushi to Kagoshima
35	29th April 2020	Kagoshima	Izumi to Ibusuki
36	2nd May 2020	Okinawa	Naha to Nago
37	3rd May 2020	Okinawa	Tomigusuku to Itoman
38	6th May 2020	Kumamoto	Hitoyoshi to Yatsushiro
39	7th May 2020	Kumamoto	Mashiki to Kumamoto
40	8th May 2020	Nagasaki	Minamishimabara to Nagasaki
41	9th May 2020	Nagasaki	Nagayo to Sasebo
42	8th May 2020	Saga	Tara to Karatsu
43	9th May 2020	Saga	Kiyama to Saga
44	10th May 2020	Fukuoka	Omuta to Fukuoka
45	11th May 2020	Fukuoka	Chikujo to Kitakyushu
46	14th May 2020	Yamaguchi	Iwakuni to Yamaguchi
47	15th May 2020	Yamaguchi	Ube to Hagi
48	16th May 2020	Shimane	Tsuwano t Onan
49	17th May 2020	Shimane	Oda to Matsue
50	18th May 2020	Hiroshima	Miyoshi to Hiroshima
51	19th May 2020	Hiroshima	Hatsukaichi to Matsue
52	20th May 2020	Okayama	Ibara to Okayama
53	21st May 2020	Okayama	Tamano to Tsuyama
54	22nd May 2020	Tottori	Sakaiminato to Kurayoshi
55	23rd May 2020	Tottori	Kotoura to Tsuyama
56	24th May 2020	Hyogo	Toyooka to Himeji
57	25th May 2020	Hyogo	Kobe to Tambe – Sasayama
58	26th May 2020	Kyoto	Kyotango to Kameoka
59	27th May 2020	Kyoto	Uji to Kyoto
60	28th May 2020	Shiga	Takashima to Otsu
61	29th May 2020	Shiga	Koka to Nagahama
62	30th May 2020	Fukui	Takashima to Sabae
63	31st May 2020	Fukuji	Echizen to Nagahama
64	1st June 2020	Ishikawa	Kaga to Kanazawa
65	2nd June 2020	Ishikawa	Wajima to Nanao
66	3rd June 2020	Toyama	Oyabe to Takaoka
67	4th June 2020	Toyama	Asahi to Toyama
68	5th June 2020	Niigata	Itoigawa to Minamiuonuma
69	6th June 2020	Niigata	Nagaoka to Murakami
70	7th June 2020	Yamagata	Nishikawa to Yamagata
71	8th June 2020	Yamagata	Tendo to Sakata
72	9th June 2020	Akita	Yuzawa to Yamagata
73	10th June 2020	Akita	Katagami to Kazuno
74	11th June 2020	Aomori	Hirosaki to Aomori
75	12th June 2020	Aomori	Mutsu to Hachinohe
76	14th June 2020	Hokkaido	Hakodate to Shiraoi
77	15th June 2020	Hokkaido	Tomakomai to Sapporo
78	17th June 2020	Twate	Shizukuishi to Kuji
79	18th June 2020	Twate	Iwaizumi to Rikuzentakata
80	19th June 2020	Twate	Ichinoseki to Morioka
81	20th June 2020	Miyagi	Kesennuma to Onagawa
82	21st June 2020	Miyagi	Higashimatsushima to Rifu
83	22nd June 2020	Miyagi	Yamamoto to Sendai
84	24th June 2020	Shizuoka	Kosai to Shizuoka
85	25th June 2020	Shizuoka	Makinohara to Numazu
86	26th June 2020	Shizuoka	Ito to Fujinomiya
87	27th June 2020	Yamanashi	Nanbu to Kofu
88	28th June 2020	Yamanashi	Fuefuki to Fujiyoshida
89	29th June 2020	Kanagawa	Hakone to Fujisawa
90	30th June 2020	Kanagawa	Miura to Sagamihara
91	1st July 2020	Kanagawa	Kawasaki to Yokohama
92	2nd July 2020	Chiba	Kisarazu to Sanmu
93	3rd July 2020	Chiba	Choshi to Chiba
94	4th July 2020	Chiba	Kawasaki to Yokohama
95	5th July 2020	Ibaraki	Kashima to Moto
96	6th July 2020	Ibaraki	Koga to Tsukuba
97	7th July 2020	Saitama	Koga to Tokorozawa
98	8th July 2020	Saitama	Soka to Kumagaya
99	9th July 2020	Saitama	Kawagoe to Saitama

The above mentioned is a complete schedule and route till 9th July 2020. The below given table will take you to the actual Olympics dates ie. 24th July 2020.

Day	Date	Route
100	10th July 2020	Setagaya
100	10th July 2020	Komae
100	10th July 2020	Inagi
100	10th July 2020	Machida
101	11th July 2020	Tama
101	11th July 2020	Hino
101	11th July 2020	Akishima
101	11th July 2020	Hachioji
102	12th July 2020	Hinohara
102	12th July 2020	Okutama
102	12th July 2020	Hinode
102	12th July 2020	Ome
102	12th July 2020	Mizuho
103	13th July 2020	Hamura
103	13th July 2020	Akiruno
103	13th July 2020	Fussa
103	13th July 2020	Musashimurayama
103	13th July 2020	Tachikawa
104	14th July 2020	Kunitachi
104	14th July 2020	Kokubunji
104	14th July 2020	Kodaira
104	14th July 2020	Higashiyamato
104	14th July 2020	Higashimurayama
105	15th July 2020	Kiyose
105	15th July 2020	Higashikurume
105	15th July 2020	Nishitokyo
105	15th July 2020	Koganei
105	15th July 2020	Fuchu
103	16th July 2020	Chofu
103	16th July 2020	Miyake
103	16th July 2020	Kozushima
103	16th July 2020	Niijima
103	16th July 2020	To-shima
103	16th July 2020	Oshima
104	17th July 2020	Mikurajima
104	17th July 2020	Aogashima
104	17th July 2020	Ogasawara
104	17th July 2020	Mitaka
104	17th July 2020	Musashino
105	18th July 2020	Suginami
105	18th July 2020	Nakano
105	18th July 2020	Nerima
106	19th July 2020	Toshima
106	19th July 2020	Itabashi
106	19th July 2020	Kita
106	19th July 2020	Adachi
107	20th July 2020	Katsushika
107	20th July 2020	Edogawa
107	20th July 2020	Sumida
107	20th July 2020	Arakawa
108	21st July 2020	Taito
108	21st July 2020	Bunkyo
108	21st July 2020	Chiyoda
108	21st July 2020	Chuo
109	22nd July 2020	Koto
109	22nd July 2020	Ota
109	22nd July 2020	Shinagawa
110	23rd July 2020	Meguro
110	23rd July 2020	Shibuya
110	23rd July 2020	Minato
111	24th July 2020	Suginami
111	24th July 2020	New National Stadium (Shinjuku)

When & From Where will the Olympics Torch Relay Start?

The Olympics Torch Relay will begin from the Ancient Olympia on 12^th March 2020. The first Olympic Flame will be ignited at the ancient temple of Hera, in a traditional method by sunray and a parabolic mirror.

When & Where will 2020 Tokyo Olympics Torch Relay End?

After traveling through the host city of Japan, including all the 47 prefectural capitals, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Torch Relay will end with the lighting of the cauldron at the New National Stadium in Tokyo on 24^th July 2020.

Also, the Flame will be kept burning for 16 days of the Olympic Games at the Dream Bridge Cauldron. The Flame will be extinguished a few moments before the Olympics 2020 Closing Ceremony begins.

Who is the First Torchbearer?

The First Torchbearer for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics games is honored and handed over to the Olympic Shooting Champion Anna Korakaki.

News Updates Related to Torch Relay

Olympic 2020 Torch Relay in Greece suspended due to Fear of Corona Virus

The Greek Olympics committee on Friday revealed that it will suspend the rest of the Summer’s Tokyo Games in the country due to the growing concerns over the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

The decision came up a day after the Greek leg of the relay started following a lighting ceremony in the ancient city of Olympia. The committee said the Olympic flame will be handed over to the Olympic host city Japan in Athens on Thursday as scheduled in absence of the spectators.

Also, Toshiro Muto, Tokyo Olympics CEO stated that the halt of the Greek relay will not affect the schedule of the Japanese leg. The Japanese leg will be scheduled on time and begin on 26^th March in Fukushima Prefecture.

As Tokyo is going to host the Olympics 2020 summer games, the city with no doubt will be thronged and overcrowded with millions of visitors from different parts of the world. So if you are planning to come to Tokyo for the Olympics Games, the first important thing to know is about the Tokyo Transportation details, as it will help to save your time commuting across the city. Along with the Olympics, many will like to roam around places near Tokyo. So we recommend our readers to go through our dedicated article on Places to visit nearby Tokyo during Olympics 2020.

So here we have listed in detail Tokyo Transportation Tips that will assist you on How to Get Around Tokyo during Olympics 2020 games.

Tokyo cities are interconnected with each other by a great public transportation system.

Tokyo Trains and Subways

The best and the easiest way to travel around Tokyo is through Trains and Subways. The city has two subway systems Tokyo Metro and Toei Subways, which are interlinked to each other.

The most popular Train service is the JR Yamanote Line, commonly called as “Tokyo Loop Line” or “Loop Line”.

You can make the payment for the Train Ticket with prepaid Pasmo or Suica card.

Toei Subways

There are two useful Subway passes to explore and travel within Tokyo.

You can purchase an unlimited one day pass for both Toei and Tokyo Subways that cost Y1,000 for adults and Y500 for children.

Tokyo Buses

Tokyo comprises of a huge network of Buses that are an effective and efficient mode of transport. Most buses operating in the center charge a flat fee of Y210 for adults and Y110 for children.

You can pay the bus fare with a prepaid card (i.e. Pasmo or Suica)

Tokyo Taxis

If you wish to avoid the rush hours or if you are residing outside the city center away from a train or subway station, then go for the Tokyo Taxi service. It is one of the most convenient ways to travel if you are traveling with children or luggage.

Tokyo Taxis are quite expensive compared to Tokyo Trains and Subways.

Most Taxis in Tokyo charge Y730 for the first 2 Km and thereafter the fare rise Y90 for every 280 meters traveled. Also as a general rule, the taxis cost around Y3,500 to cross Tokyo Station to Shinjuku Station.

Tokyo Airport Transport

Tokyo mainly comprises of two major international airports Narita International Airport (NRT) and Haneda Airport (HND), Haneda Airport is closer to Tokyo. The best way to travel between Narita Airport is through JR Narita Express which costs around Y3,020.

You can get Japan Rail Pass to travel on the JR Narita Express.

Haneda Airport Transport

Haneda Airport is around 14 Kilometre away from central Tokyo. If you want to travel through Public Transport then Tokyo Monorail is a convenient option. A Taxi is also a good option if you are traveling during rush hours or on weekends.

Airport Limousine Buses also runs from Haneda Airport to various points in Tokyo. The trip costs around Y930 and takes between 30 and 60 minutes.

Haneda Airport Taxi

Haneda is the closest Airport to Tokyo where a Taxi between Haneda and Tokyo costs around Y6, 000 and takes about 30 and 45 minutes.

Narita Airport Transport

Narita Airport is about 60 kilometers away from the northeast part of Tokyo. So compared to Haneda Airport, Narita Airport is far away from Tokyo. It is always recommended to take Train to the city, where the best option is the JR N’Ex (Narita Express). Another option is the Keisei Skyliner, which takes you to the Ueno station in Tokyo.

Narita Airport Taxi

Since Narita Airport is far from Tokyo, traveling by Taxi will be too expensive. A regular taxi will cost about Y21000 and takes around 65 and 85 minutes, depending upon traffic and destination.

Prepaid Cards: Pasmo and Suica

One of the best ways to pay for Trains and Subways in Tokyo is the prepaid store value card Pasmo or Suica. You can purchase them from convenient stores and are also available at different other places.

Conclusion

This was all about Transportation tips which are helpful to visit nearby places around Tokyo. Since you are visiting Tokyo, we will recommend you to read a complete Tokyo Olympics Travel guide where we have shared all the details you need to keep in mind.

Tokyo is one of the top places in every traveler to-do list and this time it is going to attract many visitors as the country is all set to host the Olympics 2020 summer games. If you are also one of them planning to travel to Tokyo for the Olympics, then it’s always recommended to explore the different mesmerizing place around the city.

Tokyo is known to be a city of modern living and blended with old fashioned manners and traditions. So here we have listed 25 best tourist places to visit nearby Tokyo that you should never miss while enjoying the Tokyo 2020 Olympics games.

Places to visit Nearby Tokyo

There are plenty of favorite spots to explore in and around Tokyo. The temperature in Tokyo is always pleasant and refreshing. As the Olympics 2020 games will last for 15 days, you will have ample of time to visit different amazing places in the city. You might wonder, how to reach the below mention places, here is the complete detail of one of the most efficient urban transport systems.

1. Sensoji in Asakusa

This place is well-known and famous as the largest ancient Buddhist temple. It is the major tourist attraction, where you will find Tokyo’s oldest temple dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon.

2. Nakamise Shopping Street

As the name denotes, it is one of the crowded and busy shopping streets in Tokyo flooded with tourists. The place is located just before Sensoji after Kaminarimon or “Thunder Gate”, where you will find massive paper lantern painted in vivid reds and black tones.

3. Meiji Shrine

One of the famous local shrines is the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken.

4. Toyosu Market and Tsukiji Outer Market

If you are a seafood lover then Toyosu Market and Tsukiji Outer Market are the must place to visit, renowned as one of the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. Here you will find more than 400 different types of seafood species.

5. Tokyo Skytree

One of the major urban attractions is the Tokyo Skytree, composed of two observation decks Tembo Deck and Tembo Gallery. The deck offers spectacular panoramic views of the Tokyo City Skyline.

6. Tokyo Disneyland

One of the most explored and happening places of the town is the Tokyo Disneyland, sprawled in115 acre theme park based on the films produced by Walt Disney.

7. Kabukicho

If you wish to relax and rejuvenate, try this exotic and alluring red light district beyond Yasukuni-Dori Avenue. The place is famous for hostess bars, love hotels, shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, often called the “Sleepless Town”.

8. Ginza

The Ginza is considered as the high fashion center, filled with many upscale shops and restaurants. It is one of the most expensive real estate centers in the world.

9. Yasukuni Shrine

The Shrine is dedicated to the soldiers and others who sacrificed their lives while fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. The place is also famous for sakura cherry blossom flowers and yellow ginkgo leaves.

10. Akihabara Electric Town

If you are a gadget freak, then this place is for you, well known as the largest town with collections of all kinds of Electronics appliances and devices in the world. Also, it is popular as manga and anime town, with hundreds of manga and anime-related shops.

11. Roppongi and Roppongi Hills

One of the hot spot tourist destinations in the Roppongi and Roppongi Hills, popular as nightlife district among tourists. Here you will find a large number of foreigner friendly bars, night clubs, and restaurants.

12. Kabukiza

Kabukiza is the only theatre in Japan that shows the traditional drama form every month. You can purchase the ticket online as well as from the ticket counter.

13. Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower stands 332.5 meters tall, which is the world’s tallest self-supporting steel tower for communications and observation tower. The tower offers a bird’s-eye view of Tokyo city.

14. Yanesen

Yanesen is the oldest district of Tokyo, filled with shitamachi atmosphere. It’s a great place to explore on foot and experience the cheerful shitamachi atmosphere of the good old Tokyo.

15. Shibuya Crossing

One of the most crowded and famous crossing point in Tokyo. The place has appeared in the number of movies and photography, which is visited by millions of visited on each day.

16. Hachiko Statue

Hachiko is the name of the dog, derived from one of the most touching real-life stories in the world. It has been made as a film starring Richard Gere in the year 2009.

17. Harajuku

Harajuku is a town adjacent to Shibuya, well-known as a center of Japanese youth culture and fashion. You will find a large number of people in different, yet unique clothing styles.

18. Sanrio Puroland

Sanrio Puroland is the home of Hello Kitty, My Melody, and other Sanrio Characters. It is the 2^nd well-known theme park after the Tokyo Disneyland.

19. Pokemon Centre Mega Tokyo

Pokemon Centre Mega Tokyo is a specialist store for the popular gaming character, Pokemon goods. Your kids will be delighted after going through a wide range of original Pokemon center goods.

20. Takao

If you are planning for an adventure tour in Tokyo, then Mt. Takao is a place to go. The place is approximately an hour away from central Tokyo, surrounded by nature and hiking trails.

21. Izaka Alleys

Alleyways, in Japanese called Yokocho, is one of the biggest tourist destinations. It is basically a narrow street which dwells small izakaya, Japanese style pubs.

22. Jimbocho

If you are an avid reader, then Jimbocho is the place famous as a book town, curry town and the town of authentic Japanese Café. The place caters countless family-owned book stores, with its own specializations.

23. Kamakura

Kamakura is the political center of Japan, with ample of temples and shrines. It is also surrounded by great nature, mountains and beaches.

24. Fuji

The place offers a thrilling experience and is one of the sought out places in Tokyo. You can witness the beauty of the mountain from a distance throughout the year.

25. Ueno Onshi Park

Ueno Onshi Park is a spacious public park in Tokyo. It is home to several national museums, rendezvous tea houses and bird species.

With the only couple of months left for the onset of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games, Olympic fever is at its peak to relish the athletes’ performance across different sports genre.

Have you planned or are you planning to visit Tokyo to be the part of the Olympics games, then this is the perfect guide for you, where we have comprehensively covered important aspects of the Olympic tour like How to book Olympics 2020 Tickets, When & From where to book hotels and flight tickets, where to stay, Hotels, popular places to visit nearby Tokyo, local food to eat and many more.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics Fast Facts

Those who have already made up their mind to mark their presence at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, here we have illustrated some of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Fast Facts.

Olympics Date: 24^th July to 9^th August 2020

The number of Participating Countries, Athletes, and Events: 12000 athletes from 207 countries competing in 324 events.

Notable venues and zones: Tokyo 2020 Olympics event is scheduled between the “Heritage Zone” (around and to the west of Tokyo station, where the 1964 Tokyo Olympics were held) and the “Tokyo Bay Zone”, which includes Odaiba Island.

The main attraction of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics venue is the newly built New National Stadium that resembles the state of the art version of the previous one. The opening and closing ceremony will take place at the New National Stadium.

Estimated Attendees: As always Tokyo Olympics is expected to be a grand affair, where at least 500,000 people are estimated to attend the games during the 16-day run.

Associated events: The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics will take place from 25^th August to 6^th September 2020.

Mascots: The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Mascot is Miraitowa which signifies “Future” and “Eternity” in Japanese culture. Also for Paralympics games, Someity is the Mascot which is a reflection of Japan’s famous somei yoshino cherry tree, sounds like the English phrase “so mighty”.

How to book Olympics 2020 Tickets

Unlike the usual travel trip, traveling to Japan during the Tokyo Olympics games is not going to be a smooth process. So here we have covered up to three basic ways on How to book Olympics 2020 Tickets.

• Lottery for Residents of Japan: Since Japan is hosting the Olympics 2020 Event, the first preference is given to the Japanese residents to purchase the Tokyo 2020 tickets, through a government-run lottery ticket.
• Remote Sales for Overseas Residents: After the closure of the Lottery ticket sales, the Japanese government will open ticket sales to authorize overseas sellers. In the United States, tickets are available on CoSport, also known as Jet Set Sports.
• Last Minute Online Ticket Sales: Also, the Japanese government has planned to open an online ticket portal both for local and foreign people, which will be able to buy the tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis.

When & From Where to Book Hotels & Flight Tickets?

It is important to book flight tickets and hotels on time, to avoid the last-minute hustle. To avoid disruption, it is recommended to book the hotel and flight tickets 11-12 months ahead of the event, The early you book, the more you save on the tickets.

All the major Tokyo 2020 events are scheduled in the city center, but one should avoid booking hotels nearer to the event, as during the event, the hotel’s bookings get more costly near the city center as compared to the other locations. For detail analysis, you can check our report on What is the best time to book flights & Hotels for Olympics 2020.

Where to stay

Millions of Olympics fans are expected to attend the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games, and finding the accommodation during this period is usually going to be a tedious task.

If you haven’t booked your Tokyo 2020 accommodation and are busy finding the one, then you have some of the basic options. The first way is to wait for more rooms to open up, which will take place after April 2020. The second cheapest way is to opt away from Tokyo City center and travel into the city through different modes of transportation.

Hotels

Hotels during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics events are expected to be fully booked. Japan Hotel rates vary for different places, where the city will cost more as compared to that away from it. The cheapest option available is a hostel that will cost around $82 per night for a bed in a six-bedroom dormitory.

Also, Japan’s famous capsule hotels can cost as low as $150 per night during the Olympics.

Ryokan

Ryokan is a famous place to live in during the Olympics period. Ryokans are traditional Japanese style inns that feature tatami floored rooms nestled near hot springs or onsen.

During the stay, ryokan offers us to experience an elaborate dinner and breakfast featuring local as well as seasonal cuisine. Also, it presents the visitor an opportunity to indulge in a luxury piping hot bath and sleep on a futon.

The average stay in Ryokan will cost more than a hotel room, which ranges between 15000 and 25000 yen (between $140 -230) per person.

How to get around during Tokyo 2020

Tokyo is known to have one of the most efficient urban transport systems in the world. There are ample of transport system available for a visitor during the Olympics. To know details of busses, trains, metro and other transport mediums, we have a detailed article on Tokyo Transportation Tips.

Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway

These are the underground rail line operated by two different companies, but functioning together. PASMO or SUICA card is available to use the Tokyo Subway system. The Tokyo Metro Fare costs about 170-310 yen for a one-way ticket, while a one day pass costs 600 yen.

Ginza, Otemachi, Kokkai Gijido-mae Taemeiki-Sanno, Nagatacho and Shinjuku are some of the popular Tokyo Metro Stations.

Japan Railway Lines (JR)

If you possess a Japan Rail pass, you can travel for free in Yamanote Loop Line to high-speed Shinkansen that runs everywhere across Japan.

Private Rail Lines

Tobu, Keisei, and Keikyu are some of the private rail lines which connect central Tokyo to Haneda Airport.

Buses

Limousine Bus is a popular bus service that connects various locations around Tokyo to city airports through city buses to long-distance highway buses.

Taxi, Uber and Japan Taxi

One of the most convenient ways to reach the Olympic destination is by ordering a Taxi, Uber or Japan Taxi. The Fares for the Taxi usually starts at 730 yen for the first kilometer and 80-90 yen for every 300 meters thereafter.

Renting a Car

If you happen to rent a car in Tokyo, it is mandatory to carry an International Driving Permit.

Bicycle

You can rent the ordinary or electric bikes and ride along the streets towards the Olympic venue.

Walking

If you are close to the city center, then get around on foot comfortably.

Places to Visit Nearby Tokyo

If you are planning to explore Tokyo during your stay at the Olympics event, then you will find amazing places and fantastic sport in and around Tokyo. Here we have mentioned some of the best places to visit nearby Tokyo. We have also listed the Best 25 Places You must not miss when in Tokyo.

Kamogawa Sea World

It is a popular Marine Theme Park, featuring an integrated environment exhibit facility with over 11000 species of rive and marine organisms. Also, you can enjoy Killer and dolphin shows at Kamogawa Sea World.

Baso-no-mura

Baso-no-mura offers visitors a traditional way of life and crafts, with several events, including seasonal festivals, martial arts demonstrations, folk art performances, and themed exhibits.

Tokyo Disney Land

This theme park offers various attractions and entertainment to the Olympic visitors.

Cherry Blossoms and Azaleas Park

Shimizu Park is one of the most renowned azalea spots in the Konto area. The park also features playgrounds and camping grounds.

Okinawa

It is a sub-tropical archipelago place, renowned as the top tourist spot like Naha city’s Shuri Castle and Kabira Bay on paradisiacal Ishigaki Island.

What Local Food to Eat

Tokyo is well known for its local food to relish during free time. There are ample of dishes available across the city cuisines, but we have listed and picked some of the best out of them.

1. Futomaki Sushi: Experience the delicious gourmet dish Futomaki Sushi prepared using a special technique with elegant patterns.
2. Tempura: Tempura is one of the popular Japanese dishes, prepared in meat, seafood or vegetables coated in a light batter and then flesh fried.
3. Yakitori: It is one of the best dishes to try in Tokyo, typically enjoyed as street food, also found as a menu in many restaurants.
4. Tonkatsu: Tonkatsu is seafood, a thick pork cutlet breaded with panko crumbs and deep-fried to golden perfection.
5. Onigiri: Onigiri rice balls are easily available in some of the best down eateries. The dish is a simple plain salted rice filled with pickled plum, tuna or salmon.

Things you Need For Travelling

If you have planned to travel to Tokyo during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics event, then remember to carry the following things you need for traveling.

1. Cash and Credit Card
2. Reserve Sim Card
3. Portable Wifi
4. Electrical Adapter
5. Power Bank
6. Japan Rail Pass
7. Right Clothes for Weather
8. Right Footwear for the Occasion.

Sim Card

During your travel for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, you can purchase a Japan 4G Sim Card with unlimited data online at Narita, Haneda or Osaka airports. Also one can purchase Japan Travel SIM Cards like IIJmio Japan Travel Sim.

Travel Insurance

It is always recommended to buy travel insurance while traveling to Japan. Travel Insurance not only covers medical care but also luggage, canceled hotel and plane tickets.

Different countries offer different travel policies so choose the best Travel policy according to one’s needs.

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games will go ahead as per schedule. Thomas Bach, IOC President, on Tuesday in Lausanne insisted that the athletes should continue with their Olympic preparations “with full confidence”.

Bach’s addressed the meeting of the organization’s executive board, where it was decided that despite the coronavirus scare, IOC remains committed to holding the Olympics event between 24^th July and 9^th August. So far the Coronavirus outbreak has confirmed 90,000 cases and more than 3,000 deaths globally.

Speculation mounted further, when Japan’s Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto on Tuesday morning while speaking in the national parliament, stated that the Games could be postponed to the end of the year because of the coronavirus fear. His statement, lead to the IOC releasing a statement insisting that the event will take place according to schedule.

Related Content: Tokyo Summer Olympics Organizers Postponed Volunteer Training Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

His statement clearly states “The International Olympic Committee executive board today expressed full commitment to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, taking place from 24^th July to 9^th August 2020. The IOC EB heard a report on all the measures taken so far to address the coronavirus situation, which was followed by a comprehensive discussion. A joint task force had already been created in mid-February, involving the IOC, Tokyo 2020, the host city of Tokyo, the government of Japan and the World Health Organization. The IOC will continue to follow the advice of WHO, as the leading United Nations agency on this topic”.

Bach’s message shows that he is factoring to find some leeway in case the spread of the coronavirus reaches to such an extent becoming unavoidable causing a delay for the Olympic Games.

Also Read: Tokyo Olympics 2020 Tickets available for sale from Mid-May

Bach said “Following a very comprehensive discussion in the executive board, the IOC remains fully committed to the success of the Olympic Games. I would like to encourage all the athletes to continue with their preparations for the Olympic Games with great confidence and with full steam”.

Hashimoto was questioned in Japan’s Parliament, regarding the Olympics schedule, where she insisted, “everything was being done to ensure the Games so ahead as planned, but the organizing committee’s agreement with the IOC did allow for the event to be moved. The contract calls for the Games to be held within 2020. That could be interpreted as allowing postponement”.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak number of major sporting events had already been quashed including the 2020 World indoor Athletics Championships and the Chinese Grand Prix, including the two stages of the cycling’s UAE Tour final canceled last week.

The much-awaited sporting season of the year is on its way, where the best athletes from different countries are all set to compete against each other in the new national stadium. The viewers from all around the world are excited to be part of the Olympics 2020 games. But there are various questions which are being raised and I personally think some analysis must be done on such topics – Why Hosting The Olympics isn’t Worth it Anymore?

Recently, due to the outbreak of Coronavirus, various sporting events in the month of March and April all over the globe have been postponed. There are various question marks over the Olympics 2020. There are various statements released from the authorities. Few of them are confident enough about conducting Olympic games in a scheduled time frame while few raise a concern and feel Games can be canceled or postponed. Tokyo is almost ready to welcome the world. Billions of dollars are invested in this project. What if the Olympics get canceled? The hosts will face huge losses in such a situation.

Coronavirus might be once in a century case but for over the decade, the Olympic Games have been surrounded by prevalent overspending, controversies, and waster. Now with the lasting damage, the Olympics do to the hosting city, it has certainly raised a question among viewers Is Hosting The Olympics worth it anymore?

High Costing

The crucial factor that remains into the limelight is high costing the organizers bear to host the Olympic event. With the rising cost of infrastructure, it has become a tedious task to host any mega-event especially the Olympic Games. Hosting is expensive and every Olympic game in the last fifty years has gone over budget. The hosting country had so far faced the financial burden demonstrating the challenging job for the preparations of the Olympic Games.

The following figure clearly states the estimated cost of the last four Olympics and also the projected cost of the

Event	Year	Estimated Cost
Sydney	2000	$ 4.7 Billion
Athens	2004	Euro 9 Billion
Beijing	2008	$ 42 Billion
London	2012	$ 11 Billion
Rio	2016	$ 15 Billion

The initial budget of the 2014 Sochi Winter Games was around 10 billion dollars, which went over 41 billion dollars.

Infrastructure challenges

One of the major concerns experienced by any hosting city is the infrastructure challenges. The organizers have to go through the tedious task of developing the sporting stadium, accommodation, transportation networks necessary to manage the rising tourists and athletes. Also, organizers have to plan the structure and adhere to the guidelines of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The focus is mainly on the tourist attraction, where city planners tend to capitalize on urban space and developing it into a recreational environment. The focus is mainly on the consumerism, retail, sporting, hotel, leisure and heritage spaces.

Also one of the major challenges faced by the hosting city is what to do with this infrastructure after the conclusion of the games. However, Barcelona is one such country that has turned the Olympic stadium into a tourist attraction.

But Sydney, Montreal, Athens, Beijing, and Vancouver had to face a severe infrastructure burden termed as a post-Olympic venue failure.

Human Rights Violation

One of the major challenges faced by the hosting city while building new infrastructure is destroying the established urban settlements. While doing so, the most affected ones are the local populations and communities who are often dispersed and displaced.

One such incident took place during the Beijing Olympic 2008 Olympics, where 1.5 million residents were forcibly evacuated from their homes with minimal compensation. The residents were relocated to the outskirts of the city divided from family and friends. The Rio Olympic infrastructure was followed by demolition and displacement of the UNESCO world heritage sites. These acts by the organizers had faced severe criticism that turned into the military ethos.

Repressive measures within China and Tibet at the 2008 Olympic games, LGBT rights issues in the 2014 Sochi Winter Games and casualties on the construction sites at the upcoming Qatar 2022 World Cup signals the human rights issues. The glory of the Olympics known for its Unity and diversity is diminishing and is more inclined towards oppression and exclusion.

International Prestige

The hosting country of the mega event tries to garner international prestige. It has been observed that the host country always attempts to cover the human rights violation, and often becomes a complex task for the organizers to manage the high profile political and economic problems mainly associated with International Organization Committee. Political scandals at the major sporting events FIFA and IAAF have damaged its reputations over the years.

Is Olympic Dyeing?

Earlier, the hosting cities were profitable mainly due to their earnings through TV rights. But recently the International Olympic Committee has raised its revenue percentage leading to fewer cities participating in the race to bid as the host in the following decade. The major concern of the previously hosted city is a financial failure as it requires 10 years of financial planning. The recent example is of Chicago, where the city shell out more than 100 million dollars on the Olympic campaign and it completely defunct.

Boston withdraws its bid from the 2024 Summer Olympic Games after the citizen group agitated and convinced the city to do so. The statistics of the hosting city shows that 12 cities bid for the 2004 Olympic Games, Five for 2020 and just 2 for 2022 winter games.

Any Solution?

There is a solution for the above concerns, where Zimbalist came up with unique ideas to keep the game alive. The only solution to keep the Olympic Games sustainable, everlasting is to get rid of the bidding system and

create an Olympic Island. All the participating nations should contribute to its construction. The new permanent venue with infrastructure and built-in facilities will act as a host for the Olympics forever. Now it’s up to the IOC to support the idea for the bright future of the Olympics events.

Tokyo Summer Olympics organizers postponed volunteer training due to coronavirus outbreak which was scheduled to begin from Saturday. However, the organizers on Friday revealed in a statement that the training has been rescheduled.

The Organizing Committee has confirmed that the postponement of the Volunteer training will not have an effect on the preparations of the other events and there are no plans to cancel the Olympic games.

Also Read: 50 Amazing Facts About Olympics You Don’t Know!

The Outbreak of the Coronavirus in china last year have raised concerns about the timely opening of the games and has raised growing questions whether Japan is doing enough to contain the spread of the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

Some investors are concerned about the spread of the epidemic that could withdraw the Olympics games, scheduled to begin on 24^th July in Tokyo.

The virus struck Diamond Cruise ship has been quarantined near Tokyo, where more than 400 Japanese and Foreign nationals on board are set to disembark the ship.

The cruise carrying 3700 people has been quarantined off Yokohama since arriving on 3^rd February, with more than 600 people have been infected with the coronavirus.

Two Japanese citizens aged 80’s died on Thursday and about 100 passengers are set to quarantine in the coming days for further treatment.

So far 80 people from Japan have tested positive for the virus and mainland China has been hit severely killing more than 2,000 individuals.

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• “United By Emotion” To Be the Tokyo 2020 Games Motto