Bureau of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Preparation

the video “See you in Tokyo and Tohoku in 2020”

Following the earthquake, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) conducted several projects, such as “1,000Km Relay to Tokyo” and various sport exchange programs, so as to inspire residents in the affected prefectures and to give them hope for the future through power of sport. For this time, the TMG produced the video portraying the current status of the Tohoku region so as to inform people around the globe that the Tohoku region is regaining its ex-ante vitality thanks partly to such efforts. The TMG will make proactive efforts to widely distribute the video of the Tohoku region to people around the globe on the internet and so on in the hope that as many people around the globe as possible would watch the video and would consider visiting the Tohoku region during Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, because the TMG believes that recovery and rehabilitation efforts that have been going on in the region for the past 5 years would be further promoted by increasing engagement between people around the globe and local communities.

Overview of the video

　

https://youtu.be/DVzUf2lW3wk( External link )

1. Title

“See you in Tokyo and Tohoku in 2020”

2. Runtime and Language

Runtime: 3 minutes and 15 seconds
Audio track: in Japanese and English,
Subtitle: in Japanese, English, French and Portuguese

^*In the foreseeable future, the government will produce the video portraying the status of one of the affected 3 prefectures; three videos (Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefecture versions) will be produced and be released.

3. People who cooperated and appeared in the video

Affected people in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures will appear in the video so as to express their gratitude for generous support extended from people around the globe and their earnest wish to extend cordial hospitalities to as many people around the globe as possible when they visit the region.

Two Japanese athletes who conducted sport programs in the region for helping give courage to and inspiring affected local people will appear in the video so as to deliver the message that sports have the power to bring people around the globe together and it has been such bonds of friendship that acts as the force for positive change in the region.

< Yukiko Ueno, Ms. [a softball player] >
Ms. Ueno started playing softball when she was a third grade pupil of an elementary school. She won 1 Bronze Olympic Medal in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and 1 Gold Olympic Medal in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. In Beijing as the most powerful ace, she threw 423 balls in total during 2 days and in 3 games.

< Shingo Kunieda, Mr. [ a wheelchair tennis player ] >
Kunieda was only 9 years old when spinal cord tumors left him paralyzed from the waist down and he became wheelchair-bound. In 2009, he made a debut in professional wheelchair tennis as the first Japanese professional wheelchair tennis player. He won the 5 grand slam tennis tournament and broke the record of Men’s Singles. He won 3 Gold Paralympic Medals over 3 Paralympic Games.

4. Music

Title: “Starting Over” by “→Pia-no-jaC←”

“→Pia-no-jaC←”is an instrumental music unit formed by two Japanese musicians; HAYATO (a pianist) and Hiro (a Cajon player). The group established an innovative music category called “Hybrid Instrumental” which is neither jazz music nor classic music, but played by the piano and the Cajon.

5. Narration

Narration in Japanese: Tetta Sugimoto, Mr. (a actor, Japanese)
Narration in English: Peter Barakan, Mr. (a broadcaster, British)

6. Future video production plan

The video will be played, for example at “Tokyo2020 JAPAN HOUSE” to be constructed at a venue of Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tokyo Metropolitan Government will make proactive efforts to widely distribute the video of the Tohoku region to people around the globe on the internet and so on. The video can be viewed on the following web-site.

https://youtu.be/DVzUf2lW3wk( External link )

Contact Information

Hiroshi Matsunawa, Mr. General Coordination Division, Bureau of Tokyo 2020 Games Preparation, TMG Hiroshi_Matsunawa@member.metro.tokyo.jp