2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo Travel Guide

Fifty-six years after having organised the Olympic Games, the Japanese capital will be hosting a Summer edition for the second time, from 24 July to 9 August 2020. The Games in 1964 radically transformed the country. According to the organisers of the event in 2020, the Games of the XXXII Olympiad of the modern era will be “the most innovative ever organised, and will rest on three fundamental principles to transform the world: striving for your personal best (achieving your personal best); accepting one another (unity in diversity); and passing on a legacy for the future (connecting to tomorrow)”.

Aligning with the reforms advocated by Olympic Agenda 2020, the Tokyo Games will use as many existing competition venues as possible, namely those built for the Games in 1964, such as the prestigious Nippon Budokkan for judo, the Baji Koen Park for equestrian events, and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium for handball. The Tokyo National Stadium, where the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and athletics competitions will be staged, will be completely revamped and replaced by a new arena.

Below are some travel guide about the competition venues may help your tour in 2020 Summer Olympics.

1. New National Stadium

Basic Information: The New National Stadium is a stadium to be built by the entire reconstruction work of the National Kasumigaoka Track and Field. It spans Shinjuku-ku and Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, adjacent to Meiji Jingu Gaien.
This stadium is the Olympic stadium of the 1964 convention and will be transformed into a state-of-the-art stadium by 2020.
This stadium is owned by the Japan Sports Promotion Center and is planned to be used for cultural and sports related events such as football international games and athletics' Japan Championships.

The Projects will be held at here in 2020: Opening ceremony, track and field competition, football, Paralympic track and field competition
Address: 10-2, Kasumigaoka-machi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

2. JGSDF Camp Asaka

Basic Information: Camp Asaka is a base of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. The camp was originally the site of a golf course from 1930 to 1940. It served as the site of the Imperial Japanese Army Junior Military Academy from 1941 to 1945, and as a United States Army camp (South Camp Drake) from 1945 to 1960, during which time it housed part of the 1st Cavalry Division.
The Asaka Shooting Range was a firing range constructed on the site for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and hosted pistol and rifle shooting and the shooting part of the modern pentathlon. It is a proposed shooting venue for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

The Projects will be held at here in 2020: Shooting, Paralympic Shooting
Address: Oizumigakuencho, Nerima, Tokyo 178-0061, Japan

3. Nippon Budokkan

Basic Information: Nippon Budokan is the sacred place of Japanese martial arts including judo. The judo project was first included in the Olympics at the Tokyo Olympics that year, and the venue for the judo project was here. The roof of the building has the beauty of a fluid line, and the lines are undulating, just like the gentle slope of the foot of Mount Fuji. It is one of the Olympic legacy facilities. Currently it is used not only for martial arts but also for various purposes such as concerts and other events.

The Projects will be held at here in 2020: Judo, Karate (new), Paralympic Judo
Address: 2-3 Kitanomarukōen, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-8321, Japan

4. Olympic Aquatic Center

Basic Information: A venue that has been refurbished on the basis of the Toei-Chen Sen Mori Park. It is planned to accommodate 20,000 people during the Tokyo Olympics. After the game, the scale will be reduced, and the passenger flow will be reduced to 5,000 people for world-class international swimming competitions and civilian swimming places.

The Projects will be held at here in 2020: Swimming program (swim, diving, water ballet), Paralympic swimming
Address: 2 Chome-2 Tatsumi, Koto, Tokyo 135-0053, Japan

5. Musashino Forest Sports Plaza

Basic Information: The stadium is adjacent to the Tokyo Stadium and is a new comprehensive sports facility planned for large-scale sports competitions and performances. Except the 4,800 ㎡ main stadium, there is also a sub-field, swimming pool and training room.
When the organizers of the Olympic Games have not yet decided, the facility was originally built as a comprehensive sports facility in the Tama area, so it is built earlier. The design is a Japanese design selected by means of an open recruitment proposal.

The Projects will be held at here in 2020: Badminton, fencing, Paralympic basketball
Address: 290-11, Nishimachi, Chofu-shi, Tokyo, 182-0032, Japan

6. Baji Koen Equestrian Park

Basic Information: One of the many original 1964 venues making a reappearance, Baji Koen will be holding a majority of the horse-related events during the Olympics.

Tokyo’s Olympic hosting plan is made up of 50% pre-existing venues including the green Baji Koen in Setagaya which was one of the locations changed later in the proposal to increase savings. Hosting the dressage and jumping disciplines as well as the eventing dressage and jumping phases, it is owned by the Japan Racing Authority. Aside from the Olympics, it’s a public park offering a green escape from the busy streets of Tokyo.

The Projects will be held at here in 2020: Horse-related events

Address: 2 Chome-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya, Tokyo 158-0098

7. Yoyogi National Gymnasium

Basic Information: Yoyogi National Gymnasium is an arena located at Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, which is famous for its suspension roof design.

It was designed by Kenzo Tange and built between 1961 and 1964 to house swimming and diving events in the 1964 Summer Olympics. A separate annex was used for the basketball competition at those same games. It will also host handball competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The design inspired Frei Otto's arena designs for the Olympic Stadium in Munich.

The Projects will be held at here in 2020: Handball

Address: 2-1, Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

There may have many people come to Japan during the 2020 Summer Olympics period, the hotels will be more expensive than usual and may be sold out earlier. So, if you plan to visit Japan in this period, the earlier to plan and confirm your tour, the better.