Article: Business in Tokyo - Toward the 2020 Olympics

Article written by Nathalie Cavasin

Japan’s preparations for the 2020 Olympics are now under way. What are the latest developments and trends? Here are some prominent examples: The recent launch of the sports agency run by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) at the beginning of May which will be finalized by this coming October, is a step towards better sports administration and an indication of Japan’s intentions to promote sport in general. To some extent it may also lead to an increase in sports marketing.

We can also expect more centralized duty-free counters in many shopping places particularly in Tokyo so that tax refunds become much easier for visiting foreign customers. The recent opening in March of the “Hokuriku Shinkansen”, the new bullet train directly connecting Tokyo to the Hokuriku region, makes Ishikawa Prefecture – one of the most important cultural regions – more accessible.

Furthermore, the prospect of being welcomed in a shop by a humanoid robot may soon become a reality: Japan has started introducing robots into stores to welcome customers as part of a new strategy by Japan’s government-led agency, the Robot Revolution Realization Council. Another example of observable changes is the urban landscape itself in some small areas of Tokyo that have few or no utility poles. The current percentage is very small as only 7% of Tokyo’s power lines are underground. It is possible that overhead power lines will be removed in preparation for hosting the Olympics. It is clear that a “big bang” will occur across areas of business in the run-up towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.