3. Preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Next, I will speak about the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Needless to say, this is a huge national undertaking, and it is no wonder that preparations to host such an event would entail big challenges. I am certain that the entire country will come together and overcome the challenges one by one to stage what will be the best-ever Games. We will deepen our cooperation with the central government and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and devote our full efforts to fuel enthusiasm for 2020 throughout Japan. As for the competition venues that the TMG will build, we will ensure accountability and complete transparency, and advance development plans that take post-Games use into consideration, so that the valuable assets of the people of Tokyo and Japan will be passed down to future generations without fail.

Raise a groundswell for the Paralympic Games

The success of the Paralympic Games is a litmus test toward the creation of a comfortable, mature society. We will promote disabled sports and put further efforts into raising a groundswell for the Paralympic Games to encourage people with disabilities to engage in sports. Since July, we have, in cooperation with the municipalities, been holding events throughout Tokyo for people to experience disabled sports and interact with Paralympians. On the day after tomorrow, the TMG will hold Challenge Sports! TOKYO, a sports event for participation by the general public, at Tokyo International Forum. This year’s event will be much greater in scale than in the past, with visitors able to experience Paralympic sports such as wheelchair basketball and football 5-a-side. I am going to take part, too. I hope many people will come to participate and find how fascinating disabled sports are.

As a city hosting the Paralympic Games, we will also promote a barrier-free mindset and create a barrier-free environment by providing more information in Braille, audio and multi-lingual formats. The council to promote barrier-free urban planning is now studying ways to bolster such efforts, and will compile a report as early as next month. While incorporating the opinions in the report, we will formulate a basic policy and guidelines that include case studies, and will work closely with municipalities and the private sector to raise public awareness.

Preparations as the host city of the Olympic and Paralympic Games

As we prepare for 2020, we will transform Tokyo into an even more convenient and livable city. We recently chose the operator for the bus rapid transit (BRT) service, a new public transport system to connect the city center and the waterfront area. By the end of this fiscal year, we will draw up the plans for this project, which will include details such as the introduction of fuel cell buses, showcasing the achievement of a hydrogen society, and the use of the technology that will have the buses stop with no gap between the vehicle and bus stop facilities. We will steadily proceed with preparations for the start of services in fiscal 2019.

Through the Games, I wish to firmly establish a culture of volunteerism in Tokyo. Recently, the TMG, together with the central and local governments, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, educational institutions, and other relevant groups including private groups, launched a council to promote volunteer activities. We will enhance publicity efforts and hold symposiums to raise enthusiasm toward volunteering and encourage more people to participate. I hope many people will take part in the 2020 Games as volunteers so that the success of the event will be a cherished, lifelong memory.

We have the strong backing of the Assembly members in our preparations to hold the Rugby World Cup in Tokyo. Working closely with the Rugby World Cup 2019 Organising Committee, we will continue to put forth our best efforts to stage an excellent event for the people of Tokyo and Japan, and fulfill our role as one of the host cities.