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, a gold medalist in women's volleyball in the 1976 Montreal Games.
Board members will also come from political and business circles.
The committee 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.
It's president will be Yoshiro Mori, a former prime minister.
The secretariat is currently sounding out candidates about their willingness to serve in the committee, leaving room for changes before the final list is worked out, according to the source.
As of Wednesday, only one of the 35 members has yet to be picked, the source said.
Akimoto is a well-known songwriter who is behind the success of AKB48 and other singers. He has also served on a government panel to promote Japanese culture overseas.