NEWSWORTHY
Man arrested for allegedly selling counterfeit Tokyo Olympic coins
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a man on suspicion of selling counterfeit 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic commemorative coins. Yasuhiro Kotani, 43, was arrested for allegedly violating the trademark law by possessing the imitations in order to sell them. He admitted to the allegations, ...
Paralympic repair specialist fixing to help at 2020 Tokyo Games
When it comes to repairing the specialized equipment of Paralympic athletes, technicians experiment with the latest technologies on the spot, even though their work can often mean the difference between success and failure. Hiroki Nakajima, one of two Japanese technicians who worked on athletes' wheelchairs ...
Paralympic gold medalist Gurimu Narita targeting historic double achievement at Tokyo 2020
Gurimu Narita did not bask too long in the glory of winning a pair of medals at the 2018 Winter Paralympics. What he achieved in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in March — gold in the men's snowboarding banked slalom and bronze in the snowboard cross, both ...
Olympic 'host towns' for 2020 join Tokyo summit to swap information
A state-backed summit saw officials from about 130 prefectures and municipalities converge on Tokyo over the weekend to exchange information on their plans as registered "host towns" for the 2020 Olympics. At the summit Sunday, participants exchanged information on their welcome plans for the athletes, ...
U.S. researcher credits Japanese media for portraying Paralympians in athletic light
The Japanese media have finally begun portraying athletes with disabilities as elite in their own right, rather than focusing on what they are unable to do, according to an American academic researching the subject. Dennis Frost, associate professor at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, said newspapers ...
Toto hopes to clean up with new self-cleaning toilets
With the upcoming 2020 Olympics in mind leading Japanese toilet-maker Toto Ltd. has recently introduced a new type of self-cleaning toilet for public restrooms, aiming to improve bathroom experiences for locals and foreign visitors to Japan. "We're seeing a surge in inbound tourism," said Hirofumi ...
IPC officials press for greater hotel accessibility in Tokyo area for 2020 Paralympics
With less than 1,000 days before the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Japan is accelerating efforts to prepare lodging facilities to accommodate the athletes, spectators and others who will visit Japan for the event. Working-level officials of the International Paralympic Committee visited Tokyo in ...
Six municipalities across Japan picked as 'inclusive society host towns' for Olympics
The government has registered six municipalities hosting athletes in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as so-called inclusive society host towns. Through the initiative, which is aimed at creating a society where everyone can live comfortably, the government hopes to implement comprehensive steps removing barriers ...
Japan launches a nationwide survey on wheelchair accessibility in hotels as progress crawls ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
New International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons said Thursday expectations are "really high" for the 2020 Tokyo Games as he visited Tokyo for a meeting to review preparations for the summer competition of disabled athletes. "The whole of the Paralympic movement is really excited about ...
Tokyo Olympic stadium worker's suicide recognized as being related to overwork
Labor authorities determine the suicide of a 23-year-old man who worked at Tokyo’s new Olympic stadium construction site stemmed from overwork, making his family eligible for government compensation.
Domestic firms — including railway operators and airlines — are boosting efforts to make train stations, airports and other facilities barrier-free ahead of the Aug. 25, 2020, opening of the Tokyo Paralympics. Barrier-free facilities will not only help Paralympic athletes get around but also become ...
