Countdown for 2020 Tokyo Olympics Starts

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)--An event to count down to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was held at the metropolitan government's head office in Shinjuku Ward on Monday. To heighten the momentum toward the Olympics and the subsequent Paralympics, three-dimensional images depicting attractive features of Tokyo and sports were shown using projection mapping during the event, which was attended by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Tamayo Marukawa, minister in charge of the quadrennial international games. Noting that Tokyo will host the Olympics and Paralympics in part to support reconstruction of areas damaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Koike said, "We hope to send a lot of cheers to the afflicted areas and make the Olympics and Paralympics events for everyone." "We pledge to get united to turn the Tokyo Games into the world's greatest sports meet," Marukawa said. Similar events were held in Hokkaido, Fukushima, Saitama and Chiba--prefectures that will host some sports events. END