Japan Picks 44 Programs in "Host Town" Iniative toward 2020 Games

Tokyo, Jan. 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government said Tuesday it has picked 44 municipal programs in 25 prefectures under its "host town" initiative to promote interactions between local residents and countries participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. In the government-registered programs, designated municipalities will host training camps for athletes from abroad before the quadrennial sports events and hold exchange events with the visiting athletes as well as people in their countries in several fields, such as culture, business and education, besides sports. There were 69 applications for the first-round registration, including joint offers by several municipalities. For the other 25 applications, the government will continue screening them and also seek additional candidates. It will conduct the second-round registration in early June and the third round in November. Through the host town scheme, which models after the one-school, one-country campaign in Nagano Prefecture to support foreign participants in the 1998 Winter Olympics in the central Japan prefecture, the government hopes to heighten national momentum toward the 2020 Games and reinvigorate regional tourism and economies. The government plans to provide financial support to the registered municipalities. Subject to such assistance will be athlete training camps, exchange events and the construction of barrier-free facilities in light of the Paralympics. END