2. For the best-ever Olympic and Paralympic Games

At long last, the year of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, 2020, is upon us. We will guide not only the Olympics, but the Paralympics to a huge success, with the Tokyo 2020 Games becoming one that we can proudly showcase to the world. In the seven years since we won the bid in 2013, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been mobilizing all of its resources to vigorously push forward initiatives to achieve that goal. We are now in the final stage of Games preparations.

The final stage of Games preparation

With the completion of construction on the Tokyo Aquatics Centre at the end of this month, all of the TMG’s newly constructed permanent facilities will be ready. The final outline of Games expenditures was also released. While newly earmarking 10 billion yen for emergency response, the TMG’s share of the expenses was reduced to 597.5 billion yen due to the change in walk race venue and further review of expenses. Tokyo’s Games-related expenses also shrank to 776.6 billion yen. We will continue to cooperate with the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and other related organizations for further efficiency.

In order to ensure the safety and security of the Games, a disaster response drill was held the other day at venues including Ariake Gymnastics Centre. We will continue to conduct drills that include public safety measures, such as response to terrorism. We will take all measures possible to realize a Games that anyone can enjoy with peace of mind based on guidelines clarifying specific responses in each field, including cybersecurity and infectious disease response.

With regard to easing traffic congestion during the Games period, we established a council last month with related institutions and industry organizations in order to accelerate transportation demand management in logistics. By reaching out to SMEs and providing consultation that will meet their actual needs, we will accelerate initiatives that cover all parties from shippers to distributers. While also reviewing the results of the Winter Smooth Biz campaign carried out last month with the cooperation of Tokyo’s citizens and companies, we will continue to steadily work toward easing congestion.

We will also accelerate the Tokyo Tokyo Festival initiative in order to raise excitement for the Games from a cultural perspective. Centering on 13 special projects selected from over 2,000 domestic and international applicants, we will implement a myriad of unforgettable programs from exhibitions and performances at metropolitan cultural facilities, to traditional cultural experiences at the Tokyo Media Center and live sites.

Initiatives for the success of the Paralympic Games

To realize an inclusive society and the success of the Paralympics, we have been implementing a wide range of initiatives including the spread of para sports centering on Team Beyond, which has over 1.3 million people registered, promotion of accessibility based on expert knowledge, and establishment of an ordinance to accelerate creation of social firms. Many citizens have participated in events held to familiarize them with para sports. I hope we will continue to widely share the appeal of these sports.

We are widely distributing pamphlets to raise interest in the Games and leaflets about the Paralympic Marathon, which will be held on the final day of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, to rouse excitement throughout Tokyo. There were 390,000 applications for the first lottery tickets -- more than three times that of the London Games -- and applications for the second lottery exceeded 240,000. Our efforts are producing results. By all means, we will make it possible to have a Paralympics where seats are packed with excited spectators and, so that this excitement doesn’t end as a one-off event, we will promote initiatives that lead the mature city, Tokyo, to even greater heights.

Mobilize all of Tokyo’s resources to realize the best Games ever

Next month the Olympic Torch will at last be lit in Greece. After being displayed as the Flame of Recovery in Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima prefectures, it will then go around Japan as the Torch Relay, starting from the J-Village National Training Centre in Fukushima, which completely reopened last year. There are 156 days to go until the Olympic Games and 188 days to go until the Paralympic Games. We will spend each one of these days devoting our full resources to finalizing preparations for the Games that the whole world is looking so forward to seeing. It is my strong wish that in Tokyo in 2020, we, with the members of this Assembly and the people of Tokyo, will, without fail, deliver the best-ever Games that will live on in people’s memories forever. I would like to ask for your further support.