Official visit to London and Berlin (Meeting with the Mayor of London and inspection of London Olympic venues)

Governor Masuzoe is on an official visit to Berlin and London Monday, October 27 through Sunday, November 2. Invited by the City of Berlin to mark the 20th anniversary of the friendship city relationship with Tokyo, the purpose of this visit is to meet with the Mayor of Berlin, exchange a wide range of views on common challenges, and further strengthen the relationship between the two cities. In addition, the governor will use this opportunity to visit London to inspect venues of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, centering mainly on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, meet with the Mayor of London, and gain expertise to use as a reference for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Other plans for the governor's visit include giving a lecture at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, and participating in a roundtable discussion with professionals from the world of finance at the City, London's financial center.

On Tuesday, October 28, the governor toured the main venue of the London 2012 Games, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and other facilities, and met with London's Mayor Boris Johnson.

Responding to questions from the media with Mayor Johnson, the governor said, "Today, I had the opportunity to see Olympic facilities and the post-Games legacy created. This is really a wonderful Olympic legacy. How the facility would be used after the Games was very well thought out, and I learned a great deal. In addition, I also spoke with Mayor Johnson about my hope to advance the cooperative relationship between Tokyo and London. I hope that we can build even stronger ties of friendship."