The Olympic Opportunity
Written by Giselle Pettyfer Photography by Marvin Ronsdorf
Japan is preparing to hold its next major sporting event: the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. After the success of last year’s Rugby World Cup, we are keen to know what these games will be known for. Giselle Pettyfer, former Director of Communications for the IOC, predicts the particular ethos of Japan’s games and the main headlines we can expect to see as Tokyo hosts the world’s best athletes this summer and invites the rest of the globe to watch.
Omotenashi. If you did not know this word before, in 2020 you will. The Omotenashi Association defines it as, “a traditional Japanese way of hospitality with the most dedicated and exquisite manners…
It creates an ambiance of tranquility and relaxation where guests will experience unforgettable moments at ease.” A blog by London agency Tokyoesque describes it as, “an integral part of Japanese culture, but one that is not so easily defined”. Definable or otherwise, organisers of the Tokyo 2020 plan to have omotenashi at the heart of their Olympic Games.
The games too, are arguably hard to define. Yes, they are an event held every four years over 17 days, where some 11,000 athletes from 206 nations participate in 28 sports (for the Summer Games). But this misses the point. It misses explaining the magic, the inspiration, the friendship, the respect, the drama through which the Olympic Games continue to capture the world’s attention. Tokyo 2020 will have us enthralled, even in a decade when attention is a hard thing to catch.
Last year’s Rugby World Cup unquestionably demonstrated the passion and enthusiasm Japan has for sport and for welcoming the world. Tokyo 2020 will be an Olympic Games for a new era, the most urban, youthful, innovative yet.
New events – 3x3 Basketball, BMX freestyle, Skateboarding, Surfing and Sport Climbing – will keep this historic event relevant for today’s youth; innovation will breathe new life into venues from the 1964 games and save significant cost; female athletes will count for nearly 49% of the field, making these the most gender balanced games in history. Domestic sponsorship revenues for these games are unprecedented and the Organising Committee announced revenues of USD 5.9 billion (JPY 630 billion) against expenditures of USD 5.6 billion.
It won’t all be good news of course. There will be the challenges which media (social or otherwise) will whip up into salacious headlines world-wide: heat, air quality, not to mention the troubling issue of doping. But when the Olympic and Paralympic Games are over, the world’s visitors and viewers will have inspired the Japanese towards an ever more progressive society, and the world will see Japan reaffirmed as a leader in technology and innovation. Perhaps, most importantly, we will all have been reminded that exquisite manners can change the world. For which we will have omotenashi to thank.
Giselle Pettyfer
Giselle Pettyfer was Director of Communications for the International Olympic Committee from 2002 to 2008. Prior to this, she worked at Formula One and as Head of Communications for Jordan Grand Prix. She has lived in Dubai for the last ten years, working as Chief Executive of Falcon and Associates, a government related entity which promoted the emirate internationally and played a central role in Dubai’s winning bid for Expo 2020. She recently returned to London with her young family.