Special Issue“Technology and Innovation in the Olympic andParalympic Games Tokyo 2020”
Editorial Preface
The Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 (hereinafter referred to as “Tokyo 2020Games”) which was held in Tokyo for the first time in 56 years had been drawing intense
attention not only from the sports industry but also from many industrial sectors since thedecision was made in September 2013 to host the Games The IEICE had also taken a keeninterest in the Tokyo 2020 Games and published several special issues on this topic starting withthe one brought out in December 2014 And now with the full cooperation of the Tokyo
Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (hereinafter referred to as“Organising Committee”) its partner companies related organizations and government
agencies we have published a special issue on the Tokyo 2020 Games covering a wide range oftechnological achievements such as building communication network and information systems
and enhancing cyber security
The Tokyo 2020 Games were not only the largest one ever held with 33 Olympic sports 22
Paralympic sports and 43 competition venues but also the first ever in the history of the Games
that was held after one‑year postponement with strict infection control measures due to theunprecedented challenges of the global spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19)(coronavirus pandemic) In this sense it was also a historical event that should be documented
from the viewpoint that how people overcame difficulties by the use of information andcommunication technology for the success of the event The followings are some typicalachievements
The event was participated with a large number of athletes athletic association officials andother stakeholders who came to Japan from overseas yet it is reported that no clusters ofinfection was caused by their visit It is partly because digital tools and the network
environment of the venue were fully utilized to collect the large amount of inspection
information and to implement social distancing measures
The International Olympic Committee announced that the number of Games audience via
television and digital media was the largest in the history of the Games while most of thevenues were unfortunately closed to spectators In order to secure the delivery of the Gamesʼ
contents for such audience the relevant infrastructure technology must have been designed
and operated with meticulous care and well‑prepared system
The Organising Committee and partner companies have carried out a variety of projects inwhich they utilized advanced technologies that could trigger social innovation in the future
These include the provision of a new experience of watching the Games using the combinationof commercial 5G network and ultra‑realistic communication technology the use of hydrogenenergy for the torch and translation vehicles and the introduction of robots for the operation of
the Games Deliverables of these projects are considered to be a valuable step toward full‑scale
market introduction in the future
The government and the Organising Committee reported that no cyber‑attacks affecting theSpecial Issue : Technology and Innovation in the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020©2022 IEICE1

Games operation were observed during the Games even though there was a big concern ofcyber‑attacks targeting the Tokyo 2020 Games which the media had covered extensively prior
to the Games It is easily assumed that unimaginable efforts were made behind the scenes
Thanks to a great deal of wisdom and efforts of the Organising Committee and other relatedorganizations various insights and experiences have been gained through the processes
introducing new technologies or taking innovation initiatives This will surely become avaluable legacy for industries in order to enrich the lives of the society which has been
dramatically changed after the coronavirus pandemic
We really hope that this special issue will contribute to create such a valuable legacy㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇2THE JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF ELECTRONICS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERS