Pioneering Japanese interpreting team opened nation's eyes to disabled athletes at '64 Paralympics
Foreign residents and wheelchairs — much less Paralympic athletes — were a rare sight in Japan in 1964. Preparations to host the Summer Olympics and the second-ever Paralympics were well underway. Stadiums, highways and hotels were being built at breakneck speeds, cutting-edge photographic and timing ...
Japan's Paralympic organizers expect huge boost in support and awareness from 2020 Games
Japan has set lofty goals for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, but by aiming for packed venues and a top-seven finish on the medal table, organizers are seeking far more than national pride and prestige. With sports an important arena in the fight for social equality, ...
Tokyo 2020 organizers launch domestic ticket lottery for Paralympics
Applications for the first 2020 Tokyo Paralympic ticket lottery, open only to residents of Japan, started Thursday. The online ticket lottery, where applications are submitted via an official ticket sales website (ticket.tokyo2020.org/paralympic), will run through 11:59 a.m. on Sept. 9, and results will be announced ...
2020 Tokyo Olympic Games can't rescue Japan
The games will wow and stun, but they won't be a repeat of 1964.
Former London 2012 official says Tokyo poised for success
As organizers approach the final one-year countdown to the Tokyo Olympics, their efforts have earned the approval of one of the key figures in the successful execution of the 2012 London Olympics. Speaking to The Japan Times on Friday, former London 2012 commercial director Chris ...
New National Stadium on track for Dec. 21 christening
Members of the press were invited on Wednesday to visit the new National Stadium, the Olympic and Paralympic Village and other venues that will host events during the Tokyo 2020 Games. Ninety percent of the construction of the new National Stadium has been completed, according ...
Olympic relief: Spectators may be allowed to bring own drinks into sweltering venues
Spectators might be allowed to bring their own bottled drinks into venues for the 2020 Olympics, marking a major departure from past security procedures, organizers hinted Thursday. The step is among a raft of countermeasures proposed by the organizing committee to protect visitors, volunteers and ...
Wheelchair-accessible hotel rooms still an issue ahead of Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and Olympics
A shortage of wheelchair-accessible hotel rooms remains an issue for Tokyo 2020 organizers, who say they are committed to using the Paralympic Games to make Japan a more inclusive place. As the clock ticks down to the Aug. 25, 2020, opening ceremony for the games, ...
Maya Nakanishi and Shunsuke Itani land deals to endorse prosthetic limbs
Top amputee athletes Maya Nakanishi and Shunsuke Itani feel like they have gotten a boost to aim high with one year to go until the Tokyo Paralympics. The two, both of whom compete in track and field, signed product sponsorship contracts with Iceland's artificial limb ...
Blind marathon runner Yoko Aoki chases berth at the Tokyo 2020 Games
A decade ago, Yoko Aoki would never have been able to imagine the current life she has. Without any major sports experience, her day-to-day lifestyle used to be far from that of an average athlete. Now she runs long distances every day, supported by a ...
Japan hopes to use the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics as an opportunity to become a more inclusive and accessible society, and in 2018 games organizers made some strides towards making it a reality. When hosting a major sporting event, people usually talk about what kind of ...
Volunteer recruitment for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games is well on track to meet its target of 80,000 volunteers, according to figures revealed by organizers on Thursday. Roughly 162,000 applicants, more than double the 80,000 target, had completed the initial online procedure to ...
