By Shioya Kogo, staff writer   The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) is having difficulty finding sponsors after significantly hiking its rates, but it is not expected to suffer a financial hit from commercial partnerships drying up.   Currently, the organization is seeking companies that are willing to sign a three-year sponsorship deal starting in 2022.   As of Jan. 31,….Read more

The Beijing Winter Olympics kicks off amid a confrontation between the United States and China, and with the world still reeling from the novel coronavirus pandemic. It is hoped that this will be an international event where athletes will be able to safely demonstrate their abilities and deliver excitement to the world.   This will be the fourth Winter Olympics….Read more

Japanese athletes’ spectacular showing at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics should not be a momentary event.   Continued support is essential to nurture athletes capable of competing in the world.   The Japan Sports Agency has compiled a plan to continue improving the performance of athletes after the Tokyo Games. From now on as well, the agency plans to improve….Read more

Nihon Yoron Chosakai conducted a nationwide mail-in survey to probe views on the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games. A total of 55% of respondents said that they are either “interested” (17%) or “generally interested” (38%) in the 2022 Winter Games.   Some 65% of pollees said they are either “in favor” or “generally in favor” of Sapporo City’s hosting the….Read more

BY ERIC JOHNSTON, STAFF WRITER   Less than six months after the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, which were delayed one year due to the coronavirus pandemic, another Japanese city is accelerating its preparations to bid for another Games.   But while Sapporo says it can produce an affordable, sustainable Winter Games with existing facilities, questions over public….Read more

Mainichi, Yomiuri, and Nikkei wrote that LDP Policy Research Council Chairperson Takaichi said on an online program on Monday that the GOJ’s announcement of its decision not to send any government officials to the Beijing Winter Olympics came “too late.” The papers wrote that although the government did not use the term “diplomatic boycott,” Takaichi said the government should have….Read more

The Friday editions of all national dailies reported on Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno’s announcement on Thursday that the GOJ will not send to the Beijing Winter Olympics Sport Agency Commissioner Murofushi or any other government officials and that President Hashimoto of the Tokyo Olympics Organizing Committee and JOC President Yamashita will participate instead. While saying that “it is important to….Read more

TOKYO – The cost of hosting the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics last summer is expected to total 1.45 trillion yen ($12.7 billion), meaning there will be no extra burden on taxpayers as the amount is 191 billion yen less than an earlier budget plan, organizers said Wednesday. The cost savings, presented at an executive board meeting of the games’ organizing….Read more

By Yuriko Koike   Yuriko Koike is Governor of Tokyo.   Even in the midst of this unprecedented adversity with the COVID pandemic still rampant, Tokyo successfully held the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 this summer.   In order to avoid spreading the virus, we took measures such as holding the events without spectators and conducting thorough daily tests….Read more

Yomiuri wrote that Prime Minister Kishida said at an Upper House Budget Committee session on Thursday that he has no plans to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics. The paper wrote that the GOJ is planning to forgo sending any cabinet members to Beijing in concert with the United States and the UK. In a related story, Nikkei wrote that the….Read more