Japan National Tourism Organization is thrilled that Tokyo has been chosen to host the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tokyo 2020 will offer an amazing experience for visitors. Tokyo will host an incredible city-centre party, based on staging the first ever ‘downtown’ games. Eighty-five percent of the competition facilities are located within a radius of 8km of the athlete’s village. Athletes and spectators will have short travel times thanks to Tokyo’s plan to stage the ‘worlds’ most compact Olympics’.
Soon after Tokyo was announced as the 2020 Olympics host city, Twitter was flowing with comments about how cutting-edge the technology is sure to be at Tokyo 2020 and also how the Tokyo Olympics are sure to have the best Olympic mascots ever!
Visitors to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will benefit from the city’s efficient and user-friendly public transport network. Tokyo has 13 subway routes and more than 60 railroad lines. Stations signs are displayed in English and Japanese and routes are colour-coded for ease of use. Transport in Tokyo is affordable with a one-day Metro pass costing £4.56, compared to £8.80 for a zone 1-2 day-pass on London Underground. Accommodation options include everything from luxury hotels, traditional Japanese ryokans and minshuku (like B&Bs), hostels and rental houses. With more Michelin-stars than any other city in the world, visitors to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics are sure to have some gold-medal winning meals.
In addition to the world-class sporting prowess that will be on show, visitors to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will have a plethora of sightseeing options. Tokyo offers a huge range of fantastic museums and galleries, temples, shrines, and Japanese gardens. For families there is Sanrio Puroland (popularly known as Hello Kitty Land), Mt. Fuji national park is just 30 minutes from Tokyo by bullet train and the ancient capital of Kyoto is just 2 hours and 20 minutes from Tokyo on the speedy bullet train.
Tourism to Japan is expected to get a further boost following last weekend’s announcement that Tokyo will host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tokyo offers unmatched personal safety and financial security; political stability and support; and world-class infrastructure, including accommodation, technology and transport. All in one of the world’s most welcoming cities. Japan National Tourism Organization expects that all the positive publicity Tokyo is receiving following the 2020 Olympics announcement will boost interest in Japan as a holiday destination, in what is already proving to be a good year for tourism to Japan.
UK visitors to Japan were up 19.4% in July and up 10.5% for January-July 2013, when compared to 2012 figures. Overall visitor numbers to Japan were up 22% year-on-year for the first seven months of 2013. The devaluation of the Japanese yen has made Japan a cheaper destination for British travellers in 2013. The Japanese yen has dropped from 120 yen to the pound in January to 156 yen today. Many will be surprised to see that dinner at an izakaya (Japanese pub), including 3 hours of drinks, costs only around 3,500 yen (£22.50).
“Japan National Tourism Organization is thrilled that Tokyo has been chosen to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. It’s still seven years away, but we are already so excited about Tokyo being the Olympics host city for 2020!
2013 is proving to be a very good year for tourism to Japan from the UK. This year, Japan has become significantly cheaper thanks to the devaluation of the yen. Exciting developments like KLM launching Europe’s first route to Kyushu island in Japan on 3 April, and the new luxury Seven Stars cruise train launching in October in Kyushu, are expected to increase interest in Japan beyond the main island of Honshu. The news that Tokyo is to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games is set to put Tokyo in the spotlight for the next seven years. We can’t wait to host the greatest sporting festival on Earth in Japan’s exciting capital, Tokyo. Twitter is already buzzing with excitement about what Japan, the land famous for cute mascots and anime, will create for the 2020 Olympic mascots!” said Kylie Clark, Head of PR & Marketing, Japan National Tourism Organization’s London Office.
Tokyo will be the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice, having also hosted the 1964 Games. This will be the fourth Olympics hosted by Japan, with Sapporo having hosted the 1972 and Nagano the 1998 Winter Olympic Games.
For more information about what Tokyo is planning for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games, visittokyo2020.jp. For more information about tourism to Japan visit www.seejapan.co.uk. Follow JNTO’s London office on Twitter at @experiencejapan and Facebook for regular news on Japan’s plans for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
