Tokyo 2020 Ceremonies

[Ikarus360]

With Anime confirmed to be in the menu, a reminder Takashi Yamazaki (one of the three main directors) is known for having worked in CGI adaptations of popular anime recently. Doraemon's "Stand by Me" for example (the 3D model of Doraemon used in the 2016 handover was the same from the movie). And most recently, he has worked in an adaptation of Lupin III. Perhaps the appearances of anime characters will use a similar style?

 

[Ikarus360]

Some rather dissapointing news about the opening after a planned number featuring the Ainu (a native tribe of Japan which lives in Hokkaido, and which the japanese government has been repeatedly acussed of abusing and considering second class citizens) was recently announced to be cut due to "lack of time". Yet they had lots of time to add pandering to Japanese animation and futurism. Embarassing considering hosts like Rio, Vancouver, Salt Lake and even Beijing gave their ethnicities some spotlight.

https://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/390859

[TorchbearerSydney]

That's a bit unforgivable..I hope their is some indigenous acknowledgement at the very least.

I saw a small exhibition about the Ainu in Osaka- they are  a very interesting ethnic people.

[Nacre]

1) How can they include an Ainu-specific segment without a similar one for the Ryukyuan people, Burakumin, etc?

2) Depictions of aboriginal peoples are a no win situation. If the organizers don't include aboriginal culture they are accused of whitewashing the past and when they do they have been accused of cultural appropriation.

It would be great if they could include a segment on the Ainu. But if they don't think they can do it well, then that should be OK too.

[Faiyez]

They can only show so much in a ceremony. And in the case of Japan, there's so much to work with.

I myself got treated to Ainu folk performances while in Hokkaido. Also, my attention was brought to the Golden Kamui manga at the place I was staying. There is a lot of appreciation for Ainu culture in Northern Japan.

So maybe they can save it for when the Winter olympics return to Sapporo.

[baron-pierreIV]

They already did Ainu in Nagano.  Why repeat it?  But I want to see a Godzilla vs. Mothra segment.  Very Tokyo-centric!! 

[The Tower Bridge Fox]

It would be nice to see some sort of ceremony  when the Olympic should have started.
may be the Ainu could do that
there is so much to like about Japanese culture ancient and modern

 

I love those japanes wood block prints as well as  Studio Ghibli

 

[Palette86]

 

Quote

Mori eyes highlighting battle against virus in Tokyo Games ceremonies

Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee President Yoshiro Mori said he is considering incorporating a message about the new coronavirus pandemic into the opening and closing ceremonies of the games next year.

Speaking to Kyodo News in a recent interview, Mori said that preparations for the opening and closing ceremonies have been "almost completed, but need to be reviewed" ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony planned for July 23, 2021.

Mori said he plans to ask the creative team behind the ceremonies to consider including references to the world's battle against the new coronavirus pandemic.

The Summer Games, which were originally scheduled to open on July 24, were postponed for a year in response to the pneumonia-causing virus, which was first confirmed in China late last year.

While the organizing committee was in the final stages of preparation before the decision to postpone the games was made on March 24, it now has to rework the preparations of the last six years, including handling additional costs for the postponement and securing venues.

"If the Tokyo Games can be held, it will be a proof that we overcame one of the largest disasters that humankind has faced," Mori said. "We have been tasked with something very challenging."

The Olympics are now slated to be held from July 23 to Aug. 8 next year, with the Paralympic Games following between Aug. 24 and Sept. 5.

The organizers said last week that the details of rearranging plans from 2020 to 2021 are being examined this month "with a view to establishing a new road map for the games" by May.

Date:April 22,2020

News source:Kyodo News

Link to this article:https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/04/d16c5db9cbd7-mori-eyes-highlighting-battle-against-virus-in-tokyo-games-ceremonies.html?phrase=mori&words=Mori

[stryker]

Apparently an idea being considered for saving money is to combine the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies into one so there'd be two ceremonies (one opening and one closing) rather than four.

[StefanMUC]

Mass events/ceremonies with 100s/1000s participating...

Not happening before vaccination. And that may well not be readily available by July 2021.

There may be a way to hold - some - sports with no or little contact, but that’s about it.

[TorchbearerSydney]

10 hours ago, stryker said:

Apparently an idea being considered for saving money is to combine the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies into one so there'd be two ceremonies (one opening and one closing) rather than four.

But the Paralympians wont then be there for the opening, and the Olympians not there for the Closing.....but the world has changed I suppose...and each group of athletes get one ceremony each!

[baron-pierreIV]

36 minutes ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

But the Paralympians wont then be there for the opening, and the Olympians not there for the Closing.....but the world has changed I suppose...and each group of athletes get one ceremony each!

It's just one of hundred of ideas being floated always -- remember 2 stadia for Cermeonies; having the Parade of Athletes in the streets?  Ultimately, they prove impractical and are simply tossed out.   This is another one of those impractical ideas.  Next, please.  

[Brekkie Boy]

Can't help but feel for the ceremonies team in particular with the delay.   Sadly likely their plans will have to be pretty much ripped up unless a vaccine is widespread by next summer.  

[Palette86]

Quote

Olympic organizers to add a local touch to games

Japanese language to determine order of Olympic parade, while Japanese athletes names will appear surname first

The Tokyo Games organizing committee has decided the marching order at next year’s opening ceremony’s parade of nations will be determined using Japanese-language names and Japan’s “50-sound” phonetic order, sources close to the games said Thursday.

The decision to thrust the Japanese language into the spotlight at the iconic parade of athletes was made in the hope of promoting Japan’s culture on the world’s biggest stage when the postponed Olympics start on July 23.

Athletes from participating nations in Japan’s past three Olympics — the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, the 1972 Winter Games in Sapporo and the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano — all marched according to English alphabetical order to emphasize international understanding.

Sources said that Tokyo Games organizers decided to use Japanese this time in coordination with the Japanese government and notified each National Olympic Committee of the plan at a meeting earlier this month. Details of the order will be announced sometime before the games.

It has also been decided that Japanese athletes names’ written in the Roman alphabet will appear in Olympic television broadcasts with their surname first, followed by their given name — the same order used when names are written in Japanese.

International Olympic Committee guidelines stipulate that Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Olympics, is the first to march in the parade, while the host country marches last. The remaining countries and regions usually march in alphabetical order according to the host country’s language.

The marching order the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games in Brazil was determined using the Portuguese language, while Korean was employed at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games in South Korea.

In December 2019, before the Olympics were postponed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the IOC announced some changes to the traditional marching order for Tokyo, with the Refugee Olympic Team to follow Greece.

In order to promote future Olympics, the IOC wanted the hosts of the next two Summer Games to march at the end. In that way, the 2028 host, the United States, would be followed by 2024 host France before Japan’s team brings the parade to a climactic finish.

Date:Oct 30, 2020

News source:The Japan Times

Link to this article:https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/10/30/olympics/japanese-language-olympic-parade/

 

[Anthony]

20 hours ago, Palette86 said:

Date:Oct 30, 2020

News source:The Japan Times

Link to this article:https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/10/30/olympics/japanese-language-olympic-parade/

 

oh i don't like the idea of the next two hosts marching at the end. seems silly. what is there to promote? people will watch when the games come along.

[baron-pierreIV]

I like the idea.  It promotes the upcoming Games.  There is no marching order at the Closing C's'; so the Opening would be the perfect time to promote the succeeding Games.  

[Palette86]

On 11/1/2020 at 9:40 AM, Anthony said:

oh i don't like the idea of the next two hosts marching at the end. seems silly. what is there to promote? people will watch when the games come along.

I think that's a good idea to differentiate. Not everyone watching the ceremony is so maniac or knowledgeable like people in here. Love that there would be some simple welcoming atmosphere for the next host country.

[Ikarus360]

Parade of Nations will have just 6 officials per country allowed. As for the number of athletes, it won't be limited and the choice will be given to them if they want to take part or not. With the vaccines almost a reality lets hope this reduces the negative impact in the Olympics a bit more.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-11/18/c_139525376.htm

Quote

No more than six officials for each delegation to be allowed at Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, says IOC

TOKYO, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has set a limit of six officials to be allowed to participate in the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony of the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games, the IOC's Tokyo Olympic Games Coordination Commission chairman John Coates said here on Wednesday.

Coates, who attended a project review with the Tokyo 2020 organizers and the IPC, said that athletes' number at the opening ceremony will not be cut.

"We don't want to change the tradition that all athletes have the opportunity to parade at the opening ceremony," Coates told reporters at a press conference.

The athletes' places are usually filled by officials from their national Olympic committees if they choose to focus on their preparation for their competitions, but next year this will not happen.

"The IOC Executive Board has already discussed this and we won't allow it this time," Coates said. "This will increase the problem at the ceremony."

"We want to see the athletes from all 206 delegations and the refugee team in the opening ceremony ... The number of officials is limited to six."

Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori is pessimistic about the possibility of seeing all participating athletes march into the Olympic Stadium, although he admitted that the parade in the opening ceremony is their "prerogative" and "no one can deprive them of their right."

"We have to have a secure and safe games," he said, adding that people need to make some "sacrifice".

Mori said that it is still too early to make decisions because it might be not a problem to worry about.

"Maybe we should ask the opinions of the athletes," the former Japanese Prime Minister said. "Are they really eager to participate in the parade? Maybe they want to win the gold medals. Athletes may have different ideals. We should know their true feeling."

Coates believed that a sophisticated and rapid testing method will solve all the problems.

"We could do 40,000 to 50,000 tests a day of athletes at the moment," he said. "It may be a quick solution. That could be the answer for us."

Coates said that measures should be taken to avoid an "overpopulated" Olympic village and suggested that not only the athletes but also all referees should be tested.

When asked if he discourages athletes to go out of the Olympic village for sightseeing, the Australian said, "Yes."

"The athletes will understand their responsibility, to abide by the rules, which will guarantee their safety," he said. Enditem

 

[Ikarus360]

Nomura was replaced as director by Hiroshi Sasaki , the person in charge of the Handover 4 years ago. Ceremony is going to be heavily revised (which without doubt its an elegant for of saying they will heavily tone/simplify it down). Sad, but expected. And to be fair considering the huge disaster the world is living right now, holding a huge extravaganza would be disrespectful. I guess i'm kinda heartbroken it had to happen with one of the ceremonies I was looking forward the most. These whole games have been a cursed trip almost as bad as Rio.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/12/5e794f663f92-creative-mastermind-sasaki-to-revise-tokyo-games-ceremonies-plans.html

[AmaniS]

On 10/31/2020 at 5:04 AM, Palette86 said:

Date:Oct 30, 2020

News source:The Japan Times

Link to this article:https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/10/30/olympics/japanese-language-olympic-parade/

 

I am surprised that they needed to even decide  this. I would have assumed they would have used the Japanese alphabetical system. 

All I would ask is that they televise the transliteration of the pronunciation of the Japanese name of country. 

[Palette86]

Quote

IOC expects only 6,000 athletes at Olympic opening ceremony:Yomiuri

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) expects only 6,000 athletes to participate in the opening ceremony at the Tokyo Summer Games, more than half of initial estimates, as organizers implement measures to guard against coronavirus infections.

The IOC plans to scale back the ceremony because athletes will not be allowed to arrive at the Olympic Village, which can accommodate 18,000 people, more than five days before they compete and must depart within two days after their event finishes, the paper reported citing unidentified sources.

Around 11,000 athletes from 200 countries had initially been expected at the opening ceremony, the Yomiuri said.

The latest surge in coronavirus infections in Japan and elsewhere has cast fresh doubts over the future of the Tokyo Olympics, which were delayed from last year. Any cancellation, or scaled back event could impose a financial burden on the IOC because it relies on income from selling television rights for the major sporting event.

Date: January 18,2021

News source:Reuters

Link to this article:https://www.reuters.com/article/olympics-2020/ioc-expects-only-6000-athletes-at-olympic-opening-ceremony-yomiuri-idUSL4N2JS0S5

[Anthony]

i'm assuming oc load-in and rehearsals should be starting within a month or two?

[Nacholympic]

I even thought that due to all the restrictions, the parade of nations could be shortened as a "flag parade" at YOG Style. Fortunately, it seems it won't happen.

Nevertheless, we are not going to see a mass show (as Beijing), thats for sure... instad of it... what about a more "virtual" show using projections and holograms???

Even with that, Japan can suprise to us all.

 

[TorchbearerSydney]

I am amazed if there will be 3000 marching- they are encouraging athletes to arrive late and leave early. Many wouldnt even be in Tokyo yet. If you trained for 4 years, why would you add to your risk at the last minute at the Opening?

[Palette86]

Quote

Tokyo 2020 creative chief quits over Naomi Watanabe 'Olympig' pitch

Hiroshi Sasaki floated idea of plus-size comedian descending from sky in porcine form for opening ceremony, magazine reports

Hiroshi Sasaki, head creative director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, said early Thursday he will step down over a derogatory suggestion involving a popular female entertainer he made last year to some planning staff members.

In yet another setback for the Japanese organizing committee of the Summer Games, Sasaki’s announcement came after weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported Wednesday that he proposed an idea last March involving 33-year-old entertainer Naomi Watanabe, who is a plus-size fashion icon in Japan and abroad, descending from the sky as a pig as part of the Olympic opening ceremony.

Sasaki, who is in charge of all four opening and closing ceremonies for the Tokyo Games, released a statement through the organizing committee, apologizing to Watanabe and admitting his proposal to a group of planning members through the messaging app Line at the time was supposed to be a play on the word “Olympic” as “Olympig.”

“There was a very inappropriate expression in my ideas and remarks,” the 66-year-old said. “I sincerely apologize to her and people who have felt discomfort with such contents.”

Sasaki, who formerly worked with Japan’s powerful advertising agency Dentsu Inc., said he retracted the idea after it was criticized by the members.

Prior to his announcement, a source with knowledge of the situation said that Seiko Hashimoto, president of the organizing body, held emergency talks with a high-ranking International Olympic Committee official and discussed their response to the report, which was made available online Wednesday, a day before the magazine hits newsstands.

The chief executive creative director of the games said he had phoned Hashimoto and offered his resignation.

“I tend to joke often, so I said it just as something that slipped out of my mouth … (the idea of Watanabe) wearing a cute pink costume and sticking her tongue out as an ‘Olympig.’ I thought that would make her look charming, but I was immediately reprimanded by male staff. I feel remorse,” Sasaki was quoted as saying by the magazine.

The scandal involving the organizing committee of this summer’s Olympics and Paralympics follows an international uproar sparked by sexist remarks made by its former chief Yoshiro Mori, who eventually stepped down in February.

Masanori Takaya, a spokesperson for the committee, said, “It is inappropriate if this report is true and very regrettable.” Hashimoto, who took over the top job from Mori, will meet reporters on Thursday and address this issue.

“This is not a problem about sexism, but a human rights problem,” said one official at the committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Sasaki, a well-known figure in the advertising industry, was initially appointed to oversee the 2020 Paralympic ceremonies. But he was named chief executive creative director of the Olympics and Paralympics late last year, replacing acclaimed kyogen actor Nomura Mansai, after the games were pushed back a year to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sasaki directed the flag handover ceremony at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which starred former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dressed as Super Mario, as well the one-year countdown event at the National Stadium on July 23 featuring swim star Rikako Ikee, a leukemia survivor.

Before assuming the chief post, Sasaki, famous in Japan for his hit TV commercials including a long-running series for mobile company SoftBank Corp., was one of the members of the planning team, led by Nomura until it was dissolved in December.

The organizing committee explained at the time that the revamping of the ceremonies’ planning team was necessary to create swifter and more efficient workflows to address challenges in the wake of the pandemic.

Date:March 18,2021

News source:The Japan times

Link to this article:https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/03/18/national/sasaki-olympics-gaffe/