Bureau of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Preparation

Governor’s Comments on the Rio Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games was held on September 7 (September 8, JST). The governor’s comments on the opening ceremony are as follows.

Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo

The opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games was held today in Rio de Janeiro.

It was a splendid occasion. It was deeply moving to witness the packed Maracanã Stadium, where spectators and athletes, with or without disabilities, came together as one, regardless of differences in nationality or culture. It made me sense the mounting excitement in Rio. I very much look forward to the superb performances of the world’s top athletes that will take place over the coming 12 days. Above all, I have high expectations for the performances of the Japanese team and sincerely wish for the success of the Games.

As Tokyo faces various issues including the aging of its population, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to realize a diverse city, where everyone—from senior citizens to children and the disabled—can live a fulfilling life. We will take the opportunity presented by the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games to accelerate this effort.

As the next host city of the Games, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government wishes to learn much from Rio 2016, especially on how to make the city more accessible to everyone by removing both tangible and intangible barriers.

I myself will be going to Rio de Janeiro for the closing ceremony to receive the Paralympic flag from the mayor of Rio de Janeiro at the flag handover ceremony, just as I did for the Olympic Games.

We will spare no effort in proceeding with our preparations to ensure that the momentum of Rio 2016 is maintained right through to Tokyo 2020.