Legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games

Abstract

In August 2021, the 2020 Summer Olympics were finally unveiled, among expectations, excitement, or even doubts (Figure 1). It is the second time that Tokyo has been given the chance to host the Olympics; the first time, the Olympic Games were postponed due to an abrupt natural disaster, which brought tremendous challenges to the host city. As the International Olympic Committee (IOC) states, “Olympic legacy is the result of a vision. It encompasses all the tangible and intangible long-term benefits initiated or accelerated by the hosting of the Olympic Games/sport events for people, cities/territories and the Olympic Movement.” The notion of “legacy” would have made these games “Regeneration Games” rather than “One Planet Games.”1Gold J.R. Gold M.M. Olympic legacies and the sustainability agenda.Nat. Sustain. 2021; 4: 290-291Crossref Scopus (3) Google Scholar For the past few years, host cities have been exploring the benefits for generations from hosting activities. From 2016, when the first legacy action plan was published, to 2021, Tokyo had been polishing and refining their plans to accommodate changes happening domestically and abroad. Alongside guiding plans given by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) and the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, affiliated documents had been prepared by varied sectors. In July 2016, the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games publicized its Action & Legacy Plan 2016,2Tokyo Metropolitan GovernmentTowards 2020—building the legacy.https://www.2020games.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/eng/index.htmlDate: 2016Google Scholar with the theme of “Participating in the Tokyo 2020 Games, Connecting with Tomorrow.” In April 2016, the first legacy plan, named Towards 2020—building the legacy, was published. In the following 5 years, the plan was revised twice, in 2018 and 2021, becoming an up-to-date action plan.3Tokyo Metropolitan GovernmentTowards 2020—building the legacy.https://www.2020games.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/18bb65c7f3441af918b5d03601929e21.pdfDate: 2021Google Scholar The theme “safety and security” was added to the original eight themes to cope with the outburst of the COVID-19 pandemic, in an attempt to safeguard all the people involved and the society as a whole.4Liao H. Zhang L. Marley G. Tang W. Differentiating covid-19 response strategies.Innovation. 2020; 1: 100003Scopus (10) Google Scholar For each theme, the plan provided explicit guiding plans. For “safety and security,” pandemic safety and security measures were introduced to make sure all the people involved were safe and healthy. In addition, sustainable recovery initiatives concerning innovative approaches adopted in the process of coping with newly arrived problems were proposed, in which high technology played a vital role. “Urban development” referred to promoting tangible and intangible development that made life safer and more secure for the people of Tokyo. In addition to improving the sustainability of game-related sites, such as sporting venues and the Olympic village, and the accessibility of public transportation, cybersecurity, anti-terrorism, and infection control measures aimed at building a safer and attractive community were also given high priority. “Sports and health” focused on utilizing the power of sports and athletes to improve sports awareness and participation, promote health, create motivation in life, and revitalize local communities among people with and without physical defects. “Participation and cooperation” involved efforts to deliver excitement and joy through a variety of programs for residents, such as the torch relay and countdown events, and a culture of voluntarism was encouraged. Also, Tokyo had been making efforts to blend Japanese traditional culture with modern elements, so as to showcase its distinct natural attractions, cuisine, and other cultural elements. It was hoped that Tokyo, or even Japan as a whole, could be an intriguing destination to people