Yasushi Akimoto, the music producer for the wildly popular AKB48 girl group, and Koji Murofushi, Olympic champion in the men's hammer throw, are among the people who will likely be named to the organizing board for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, according to a source familiar with the matter.
In response to the International Olympic Committee's push for increased representation of women, a draft plan for committee members lists seven women, including Yuko Arakida, who won gold in women's volleyball at the 1976 Montreal Games.
Board members will also come from political and business circles. The lineup is expected to be formally announced Monday.
The board's official name will be the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 and its president will be former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.
The secretariat is sounding out candidates' willingness to serve in the committee, leaving room for changes before the final list is worked out, the source said. As of Wednesday, only one of the 35 members was pending, the source added.
Akimoto is a well-known songwriter whose work has driven the success of AKB48 and other noted artist. He has also served on a government panel to promote Japanese culture overseas.