Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said Tuesday prior to his official appointment as chairman of the 2020 Olympics organizing committee that he will strive to make the event appropriate for "a new age."

"I wasn't thinking of chairing the committee, but once I agreed to help I became more and more involved," Mori said during a speech in Tokyo.

Also Tuesday, education and sports minister Hakubun Shimomura officially announced Mori's selection, saying he "has a wide international network, and is the most suitable person for the post."