AJISS-Commentary
The Association of Japanese Institutes of Strategic Studies
IIPSRIPSInstitute for International

The Japan Institute ofResearch Institute for

Policy Studies

International Affairs

Peace and Security

Editorial Advisory Board:

No. 188

Akio Watanabe (Chair)
Masashi Nishihara
Yoshiji Nogami
Taizo Yakushiji

20 November 2013

Editorial Committee:

TOKYO 2020: MAKING THE MOST OFITS INTANGIBLE VALUE

Taizo Yakushiji
Hisayoshi Ina
Tsutomu Kikuchi
Shujiro Urata andToshiro Iijima
Editor & Online Publisher:

Wakako Yuki

Yoshji Nogami
President, JIIA

When the enthusiasm and euphoria subsided after
Tokyo’s selection to host the 2020 Olympic andParalympic Games, debates broke out in Japanover the possible economic boost (the Fourth
Arrow of Abenomics), redevelopment of the cityand the venue construction plan (the cost and sizeof the new Olympic Stadium). Ironically, gone withthe bid was the high-brow talk of sports value, ofusing the power of sports for future generations. I,
for one, feel somewhat disappointed by the lack ofsuch vision, notably in the media, and I would liketo defend the intangible value of the Games as thekey to Tokyo 2020’s legacy.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and should
not be attributed to The Association of Japanese Institutes ofStrategic Studies.

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The Association of Japanese Institutes of Strategic Studies

To date I have covered 10 Olympic and 5 Paralympic Games as ajournalist, two each as a host-city-based correspondent. I have witnessed
numerous intangible legacies that sports and the Games brought to the hostcountries, which changed my own perception toward their value. Jacques Rogge,
former President of the International Olympic Committee, often stressed theimportance of the Games’ legacies. In his speech during the IOC Session prior
to the 2012 London Games, he said that tangible (quantifiable) legacies areimportant but that the influence of intangible legacies could last even longer.
Let me give you some examples from the 1964 Tokyo Games. The
post-war world saw preparations for the Tokyo Games trigger a multitude ofinfrastructure projects, a surge in domestic consumption and economic growth.
At the same time, the people of Japan were able to gain confidence and takepride in their athletes’ achievement, and to feel that they had been acceptedback into the international community. The latter is an intangible legacy and,though the effect was not quantifiable, I believe it had a greater impact on
individual lives and shaped the future of the nation.
Japan will be hosting the 2020 Games as a matured nation, if not matured
and aging nation. Needless to say, economic recovery is important, but what
Japan needs most to shape its future is not so much materialistic wealth as inner
affluence and happiness.
When the Great East Japan Earthquake hit the Tohoku region, many of us
were made aware that more important to our lives than material goods are
human dignity, hope, and the joy of being able to give happiness to people close
to you, i.e., a raison d'être.
In that mindset, we saw the value of sports in a different light for the firsttime. Sports gave smiles to children who suffered from post-traumatic stressdisorder and initially did not speak or show emotion. Athletes and their appeals
created rallying points for Japanese people to unite. Sports gave a simple but
clear message: do not give up; there is always hope.
When 80-year-old Yuichiro Miura climbed Mt. Everest last May and broke
the age record, he showed us the meaning of pursuing a dream at whatever age.
He emphatically encouraged us to recognize that, regardless of age or physical

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The Association of Japanese Institutes of Strategic Studies

state, you can always improve yourself by continuous exercise, and that you canchange yourself by aspiring for goals and making efforts to achieve them.
This is one aspect of sports philosophy that can encourage people in allgenerations. It can lead to a more active life filled with confidence and a sense ofachievement, and help you feel better about yourself physically andpsychologically. As a nation it can create a positive attitude toward the future and,for those who require tangible evidence, it can lower social security and medicalcosts. Staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games can help such a process ifused wisely.
Let us take a look at another area for potential intangible legacies:
international contributions through sports diplomacy.
When the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games were over,
British Embassies and High Commissions around the world reported a surge in
Britain’s image, according to Sir Craig Reedie, Vice President of the International
Olympic Committee, who oversaw the success of the London Games. Staging
successful Games can itself be a great promotion of the country, but in London’scase there was another contributor: an international project to promote sports indeveloping nations called ‘International Inspiration.’
Tokyo 2020 promises to carry out a world-wide ‘Sports for Tomorrow’project, similar in concept to the London Games’ challenge. An improved
image/status is an invaluable diplomatic tool for any country, not least for Japan,
which faces souring relationships with neighboring countries in East Asia.
Staging the 2020 Games means Tokyo will have international attention for
the next seven years. As such, and with Korea hosting the 2018 Winter Gamesand China its successful Beijing Games in 2008, there is a platform ofcollaboration among the three countries through sports. I am not naïve enoughto say this will directly improve the political situation, but sports can create
windows of opportunities and symbolic gestures, as shown in numerous pastexamples such as the joint march by North and South Korea at the Games’
opening ceremonies.
Personally, I feel the most worrying aspect of current bilateral relations isthe deteriorating public opinion on both sides. Japan has maintained good

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The Association of Japanese Institutes of Strategic Studies

relations in sports exchange and collaboration with China and Korea, andintends to expand them, according to Tsunekazu Takeda, president of theJapanese Olympic Committee. If such exchange and collaboration throughsports can contribute to better understanding and grass-roots friendship, this byitself would serve as a great intangible legacy of the Games.

Wakako Yuki is a senior writer of the Yomiuri Shimbun.

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