Global Sporting Events in Japan: Highlights and Opportunities

Global Sporting Events in Japan: Highlights and Opportunities

March, 2016

Graham Davis | Global Sporting Events in Japan: Highlights and Opportunities

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Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................... 3 A summer of discontent ................................................................................ 3 Venues and Masterplanning ......................................................................... 4 Tokyo 2020 Organisation .............................................................................. 9 Sponsor Update ........................................................................................... 11 Legacy .......................................................................................................... 12 Stadium and Budget .................................................................................... 14 Ticketing ....................................................................................................... 14 Security ......................................................................................................... 14 Tourism and Visitor Experience ................................................................. 15 Volunteers .................................................................................................... 16 Culture .......................................................................................................... 16 English Language Training ......................................................................... 17 Rugby World Cup ........................................................................................ 17 Business and Procurement ........................................................................ 19 About the weather ....................................................................................... 23


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Introduction “There’s space out wide for Japan…….it’s Hesketh…..he’s done it. The greatest moment in Japanese rugby history. And you have to say, they deserve it.” Brighton, September 19th 2015, Rugby World Cup “And suddenly Japan could counter and it’s four on four…..it’s off the bar….and the referee has given it” Edmonton, July 1st 2015, FIFA Women’s World Cup Japan’s men lit up the 2015 Rugby World Cup with one of the all time great underdog performances in any sport. And while Japan’s women needed a bit of English misfortune in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, reaching their second consecutive final was a fine effort in defending their trophy. Japan’s sport is in good shape. But what about the plans for the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics? This report from the BCCJ will provide a look at the status of the major events coming to Japan in 2019 and 2020. It is an update of our previous Global Sporting Events in Japan report from May 2015. It will look at developments on the ground in Japan in planning and delivering the events and look at the opportunities for business, both UK based and Japan based subsidiaries of UK companies. We will also have an early look at the community, volunteer and cultural activities which will accompany the events. The report draws on a variety of sources, including events held by BCCJ, press, websites, original research and interviews. Opinions are those of the author. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, there will inevitably some mistakes, and we ask that you double check anything you are basing any decisions on. And of course, Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2019 and Tokyo 2020 are close at hand, so information and views need to be updated constantly. Although not covered in this report, the 2021 Kansai World Masters Games will also be a major global sports event; and Aichi prefecture in central Japan is planning to bid for the 2026 Asian Games. The country has got the bit between its teeth.

A summer of discontent


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It is just as well that the sport side is in good shape because it was a summer of public relations challenges for the Tokyo 2020’s organisers. In a short period over the summer, the Prime Minister himself stepped in to scrap the original plans by British architect Zaha Hadid for the flagship National Stadium as the Japanese bid’s for construction costs spiralled and the project began to look unaffordable in the public eye. This was followed shortly after by a copyright challenge to the design for the Tokyo 2020 logo.” But there has been good news along the way too. Venue planning is now almost complete, with cycling finally agreeing in December to take the track events and mountain bike races to Izu, about 100km outside Tokyo. There’s been settlement of what looked like a nasty conflict on funding between central government, Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG) and Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG). All of the organizing entities have been staffing themselves to prepare for the work ahead. Inbound tourism is already booming, enabling Japan to get used to huge numbers of foreigners. And the money from sponsorship continues to roll in. As for business opportunities, these have been slower to materialize than we had hoped. There’s still hope; the organizers are working to a shorter timeline now, particularly given the stadium shenanigans; and 2016 is a key year in setting out plans for the Rugby World Cup. We do not have complete clarity on how things will work, and it is likely that procurement will remain an ongoing battle. But now that RWC 2015 is out of the way, and once Rio hands the Olympic baton over to Tokyo, the need for both events to get their supply chains set up will drive business opportunities.

Venues and Masterplanning One of the successes of 2015 has been the completion of the venue planning and agreement of events with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC.) This actually deserves considerable credit, particularly as the organisers have had to deal with the demands of the IOC to restructure the original plans to comply with the vision of the IOC for future games, Olympic Agenda 2020. Designed by the IOC to “protect the uniqueness of the Games and strengthen Olympic values in society,” this agenda sets out requirements for games organisers in terms of the event, economic, social and environment planning. Agreed by the IOC in December 2014, the Agenda has had particular impact on Tokyo 2020 through its aim to “reduce the cost and reinforce the flexibility of Olympic Games management.” Specifically, Olympic Agenda 2020 has the following aims which Tokyo 2020 have had to meet:

• promote the use of existing facilities • promote the use of temporary facilities


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• allow the organisation of preliminary competitions outside the host city • allow the organisation of entire sports or disciplines outside the host

city With the focus on cost and sustainability – as well as governance, transparency, social responsibility – Tokyo 2020 has reviewed its bid plans and now agreed the event venues listed below. There are a number of significant changes to the original plans, with major cost savings, but the important thing is that these are now agreed and work can begin. The existence of the masterplan should now allow for focus to change to delivery, with significant impact on business opportunities. Originally, twenty eight of the thirty three venues were to be in central Tokyo, with eleven new venues to be constructed. Now, excluding football, ten venues will be outside central Tokyo; and only six permanent venues have to be constructed. Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics – Venue Table Venue Sport/

function Type of venue/ current status/ capacity

Responsible body

Distance from Tokyo (if more than 8km from Olympic Village)

Olympic Stadium

Opening and Closing Ceremonies Athletics Football

To be constructed. Permanent. 68,000

Japan Sport Council

Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium

Table Tennis Refurbishment of existing facility. 8,000

TOCOG

Yoyogi National Stadium

Handball

Refurbishment of existing facility. 12,000

TOCOG

Nippon Budokan Judo


TOCOG

Imperial Palace Garden

Cycling (road) Temporary. TOCOG

Tokyo International Forum

Weightlifting Temporary 5,000

TOCOG

Kokugikan Arena Boxing Refurbishment

of existing TOCOG


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facility 10,000

Ariake Arena Volleyball (indoor)

Permanent, additional. 15,000

TMG

Olympic Gymnastic Centre

Gymnastics Temporary. 12,000

TOCOG

Olympic BMX Course Cycling (BMX) Temporary.

5,000 TOCOG

Ariake Tennis Park Tennis

Permanent facility. Refurbishment of existing facility. Centre Court capacity 10,000.

TOCOG

Odaiba Marine Park

Triathlon Marathon swimming

Temporary facility. 10,000

TOCOG

Shiokaze Park Beach volleyball

Temporary facility. 12,000

TOCOG

Seaside Park Hockey Stadium

Hockey Temporary. 10,000

TOCOG

Sea Forest Cross-Country Course

Equestrian (eventing, cross-country)

Temporary, 20,000 (standing only)

TOCOG

Sea Forest Waterway

Rowing Canoe-Kayak (sprint)

Additional, 24,000 (including 10,000 standing)

TMG

Canoe slalom venue

Canoe-Kayak (slalom)

New build. Will be repurposed after the games.

TMG

Dream Island Archery Field Archery Additional.

7,000 TMG

Olympic Aquatics Centre

Aquatics (swimming, diving, synchronised swimming)

Additional. 20,000

TMG

Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center

Aquatics (waterpolo)

Refurbishment Capacity to be confirmed

TOCOG

Baji Koen Equestrian (dressage, jumping,

Temporary Capacity to be confirmed

TOCOG 20km


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eventing)

Musashino Forest Sport Centre

Modern Pentathlon (fencing) Badminton


TOCOG 28km

Tokyo Stadium

Rugby Modern Pentathlon (swimming, riding, running, shooting) Football

Existing facility Japan Sport Council

28km

Saitama Super Arena Basketball

Refurbishment of existing facility Capacity to be confirmed

TOCOG 36km

Asaka shooting Range

Shooting

Refurbishment. Permanent. Rifle 4,600 Shotgun 3,000

TOCOG 30km

Kasumigaseki Country Club Golf

Refurbishment Seating 1,000 Standing 24,000

TOCOG 65km

Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex

Wrestling Fencing Taekwondo

Refurbishment of existing facility. Capacity to be confirmed

TOCOG 33km

Enoshima Yacht Harbour Sailing

Refurbishment Capacity to be confirmed

TOCOG 78km

Izu Velodrome Cycling (track) Refurbishment Capacity to be confirmed

130km

Izu Mountain Bike Course

Cycling (mountain bike)

Capacity to be confirmed

130km

Sapporo Dome Football

Refurbishment. Permanent. 41,484

TOCOG 1,200km

Miyagi Stadium Football


TOCOG 355km

Saitama Stadium Football


TOCOG 36km

International Stadium Yokohama

Football Refurbishment. Permanent. 72,327

TOCOG 28km

Other football venues are being considered, with the final decision due after


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Rio 2016 Olympics. Olympic Village

Additional. 17,000 beds.

TMG

IBC/MPC Tokyo International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight)

Refurbishment of Tokyo Big Site existing facility

TOCOG

Tokyo 2020 Paralympics – Venue Table Olympic Stadium

Opening and Closing Ceremonies Athletics

As for Olympics

Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium

Table Tennis

Yoyogi National Stadium

Badminton Wheelchair Rugby

Nippon Budokan Judo

Ariake Arena Wheelchair Basketball (final) Olympic Gymnastic Centre

Boccia

Ariake Tennis Park Wheelchair Tennis

Odaiba Marine Park Triathlon

Sea Forest Waterway

Canoe Rowing

Dream Island Archery Field Archery

Olympic Aquatics Centre

Swimming

Baji Koen Equestrian Musashino Forest Sport Centre

Wheelchair Basketball

Asaka Shooting Range

Shooting

Makuhari Messe

Goalball Taekwondo Volleyball Sitting Wheelchair Fencing

TBC Powerlifting


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Cycling (track, road) Football 5-a-side

Paralympic Village

Additional Sports – Venue Table Baseball / Softball Baseball (M) No decisions

made yet. Softball (W) Karate Kata (W / M) Kumite (3 weight classes - W / M) Skateboard Street (W / M) Park (W / M) Sports Climbing

Bouldering, Lead and Speed Combined (W / M)

Surfing Shortboard (W / M)

Tokyo 2020 Organisation

Needless to say, for events as complex, expensive and important as the Olympics and Paralympics, there are all sorts of bodies involved. It is here that one of the main differences between 2020 and London 2012 emerge – the way in which politicians and Japan’s formidable bureaucracy are key to delivery. There’s also the role of Dentsu, Japan’s leading advertising agency, for which there is no London 2012 equivalent. It would be normal to show the organization as a hierarchy, and put the Cabinet Minister responsible at the the top. Newly appointed Minister Toshiaki Endo, whose has previously been Vice Minister for Sports among other senior roles, is the Cabinet minister responsible, but he is one of many officials with a heavy burden. That is how things work in Japan, where power and responsibility are often far more diffuse than in western organisations. Yes

TOKYO 2020

TOCOG •  52 functional areas

Central Government •  Cabinet Minister Toshiaki Endo

•  METI, MHLW, Defence, Justice, Education

Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Regional governments Torch relay, Cultural Olympiad, Tourism, Training Camps

Dentsu

Sponsors & Broadcasters

IOC/ IPC/ Sports Bodies


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there are hierarchies, very much so within organizations, but it can be more helpful to think of this as a joint effort with a number of different stakeholders. As well as having more of a feel of a government organization than perhaps London 2012, there is not an exact duplication of function between London 2012 and Tokyo 2020, which can cause some confusion for UK visitors. That said, TOCOG are the entity tasked with actual delivery. In the appendix you will find a list of the 52 functional areas bestowed on them by the IOC. Broadly TOCOG has to deliver the temporary facilities; operate the Games, including the opening ceremony; establish an operational plan for transportation; recruit, train, and manage Games volunteers; set up information signs in multiple languages; and coordinate with the IOC and IPC. TMG – Tokyo Metropolitan Government – are the main local government involved. They have direct responsibility for a number of the permanent venues, as well as city based volunteer and legacy programmes. London of course had the ODA, and this might be the nearest equivalent; except that the fact that TMG have not gone with an ODA structure means that the Mayor is actively involved in planning and organization to a much greater extent than London 2012. Central government is involved at two levels. Firstly, the aforementioned Minister Endo. Secondly, the very powerful individual ministries. Take transport; TOCOG will operate; TMG will build and develop the infrastructure – but both national ministries Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will feel that their involvement is necessary. METI for example are keen to promote bio jet fuel for Tokyo 2020; while the Mayor of Tokyo at the helm of TMG is equally keen to leave a hydrogen footprint behind, in part by promoting hydrogen fuelled cars. You get the picture. A lot of potential stakeholders. Of course there are co-ordinating bodies and committees as well but complexity of organisation, political leadership and bureaucratic involvement is going to be a fact of life in the delivery of Tokyo 2020. For example, the flagship new National Stadium, which has already been an uncomfortable gestation, falls under the aegis of the Japan Sport Council, who have access to some lottery funding to pay for it. Having lots of different bureaucracies, government and non government, running things is pretty much how Japan works. And it does generally work. Our advisors from London 2012 have almost unanimously advised Tokyo to depoliticise the organisation, but that is not how things get done in Japan. As well as a complex bureaucracy, the other entity which deserves an introduction is Dentsu. Dentsu is the largest advertising agency in Japan, and number five in the world. They have been appointed as the exclusive marketing agent for Tokyo 2020. As will be seen, they have done a fantastic job in getting corporate Japan lined up for sponsorship. But their ambitions do not stop there, and this makes them an intriguing partner in many areas. Given their advertising background, they will be looking to promote the games as well as be active in media and broadcasting arrangements. They have an


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active and successful sports marketing team, so sports bodies and related events are very much in their orbit. They would also be looking at licensing and sponsor activation too. Just to add to their ambitions, they will be leading tourism promotion for areas outside Tokyo and the main games centres, as well as introducing local business promotion and local authorities as hosts for training camps. In short, do not be surprised if you end up working with – or around – Dentsu.

Sponsor Update This is an updated list, with new sponsors in italics. According to some media reports, the amount raised is already considerably more than the original US$1.2billion target, with further opportunities at Gold, Partner and Supporter level. It is not clear how much is actual cash, and how much is in-kind; but the main message is that funding is something that is not going to be a concern. Whether that means lax cost control of course ought to be a worry; and it would also surely be appropriate to have some non-Japanese sponsors for what after all is a global event. TOP Sponsor Status Table

Bridgestone Seismic isolation bearings, non motorized bicycles, tyres

Panasonic

Audio visual products - home entertainment equipment, including televisions; cameras; professional video

Toyota Mobility Other TOP sponsors are Coca Cola, Atos, Dow, Omega, P&G, Samsung, McDonalds, Visa and GE. Gold Partner Status Table Asahi Beer and wine Asics Sporting Goods (Sports Apparel &

Sports Equipment) Canon Still Cameras and Desktop

Reprographic Hardware Eneos Oil, Gas & Electricity supply services Fujitsu Data Centre Hardware Lixil Building Components & Bathroom

and Kitchen Fixtures Meiji Dairy Products & Confectionery Mitsui Fudosan Real Estate Development Mizuho Banking (joint with SMBC) NEC Specialist Public Safety Equipment &

Software and Network Equipment Nippon Life Life Insurance


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Nomura Securities NTT Telecommunications SMBC Banking (joint with Mizuho) Tokyo Fire & Marine Non-life insurance Tokyo 2020 Official Partners Table Alsok Security Services and Planning (joint

with Secom) ANA Passenger air transportation services

（joint with JAL) JAL Passenger air transportation services

(joint with ANA) Japan Post Postal Services Secom Security Services and Planning (joint

with Alsok) Tokyo Gas Gas & Gas Utility Services Yamato Logistics Services Tokyo 2020 Official Supporter Table

To be advised

Legacy According to TOCOG, 2016 will see the establishment of the Action and Legacy Plan. This cannot come soon enough. In various speeches, press releases, policy statements and announcements, all sorts of stakeholders have talked about legacy. Some of the recent headlines and statements are shown in the table below. A quick glance shows a real mixture of social, technological, economic, and urban legacies. Forgiving the fact that most of the active discussions are in Japanese, there is a real need for some clarity here – to agree objectives, to identify the means to realising those objectives, and to clarify responsibilities. At present, means and ends are mixed, and practical and achievable visions are mixed with pipe dreams. There is also an element of throwing in things which are happening anyway and giving them a 2020 flag; but the biggest problem seems to be the lack of a coherent and understandable message around legacy. This would explain why in a survey by Mitsubishi Research Institute in June 2015, only 5% of respondents had any idea about what Tokyo 2020 legacy is all about. TOCOG • Achieving personal best

• Unity in diversity • Connecting to tomorrow

o (These are the headline slogans)

o 5 pillars from the Games Foundation


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Plan: • Sport and health • Urban planning and sustainability • Culture and education • Economy and technology • Recovery (2011 triple disaster), Nationwide

benefits, global communication Tokyo Governor Masuzoe/ Tokyo Metropolitan Government

• Tokyo as the “Venice of the East” – removing highway flyovers, looking at the waterways

• New traffic arteries • Tokyo as a foodie destination • Barrier free • Remove language barriers for visitors • Japan as a hydrogen based society • A shorter working week for Japan • Inbound tourism • Tokyo as a financial hub and business

centre • Curbs on smoking in public places (long

overdue and woefully inadequate)

Japan National Tourism Organisation

• 20 million visitors a year by 2020 • internationalise ryokans

Tohoku Region • Recovery from Tohoku earthquake, tsunami

and nuclear disaster

MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture & Sport)

• Upgrade Japanese society and its citizens • Strategic creation of breathing space, while

maintaining competitiveness in an aging society (a society in which people can continue taking on challenges throughout their lives) (direct quotes)

METI (Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry)

• Introduction of bio jet fuel • Promotion of Robots and Robotics,

including 2020 Robot Olympic Games • Developing a healthy environment for credit

card use • Promotion of hydrogen and fuel cells • Promotion of artificial intelligence • Promotion of foreign direct investment

Prime Minister Abe • Promotion of women in leadership

• Focus on the disabled • Focus on regional revitalisation


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Stadium and Budget The rerun competition for the design of the new National Stadium was won in a two horse race by Japanese superstar architect Kengo Kuma. In common with much of his work, it features a wooden lattice design. He will be working to a budget of around GBP800 million but the real issue is time – the site is clear, but the deadline to complete is early 2020, to allow access for practice events and the opening ceremony trials. It will be tight, with construction not due to start until 2017. Kuma does some stunning work, although this is his first sports stadium. He is currently working on the V&A in Dundee, which slightly worryingly is over budget. Zaha Hadid has every reason to feel aggrieved about her treatment in this. But the real issue about the stadium though is what it reveals in terms of Japan’s management of the project – poor cost control, inadequate budgeting, and a lack of clarity in management responsibility. These are real deficiencies in a project such as Tokyo 2020. NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, reported in December that alongside the stadium overrun, other costs are rising too, with total budget estimated now totalling almost GBP10billion, six times the original. The NHK report did not go into detail, and there is little public information on any budget update. It is true that construction costs are rising rapidly in Japan as the economy grows. Sponsorship revenue is strong, but the national and Tokyo taxpayer is likely to have a large bill to meet – we are likely to hear more about budgets over the coming year. London 2012’s budget was around GBP8.8billion.

Ticketing One major development may be in ticketing. In December, the IOC requested that companies contact them about providing ticketing services for Tokyo 2020 and subsequent winter and summer Olympics. This would indicate that the IOC may be trying to move responsibility for ticketing from the OCOG, who hitherto have had the job, or at least provide consistent expertise from specialists so that the wheel does not require constant reinvention by each OCOG.

Security Security, both physical and cyber, is a top priority. Secom and Alsok as Official Partners both date back to the 1964 Olympics; and are major players in the domestic market. NEC, too, are sponsors, with major businesses in areas such as drone and biometric identification. Tokyo Metropolitan Police, who come under the aegis of the Governor of Tokyo, are a ubiquitous presence, with 43,000 police officers and 826 Kobans, are community police boxes. Tokyo is generally considered an extremely safe and law abiding place, but these events will still be a test - the task though is huge, with venue


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security just one of the areas, alongside wider public safety and cyber security. Indeed, there are reports that the TOCOG website experienced a cyber attack in November 2015, resulting in it being offline for a number of hours. Given the number of players, of which only some are mentioned above, and the complexity of the task, planning and governance will be vital. London 2012 has done an excellent job in detailing to the Japanese organisers the breadth of the challenge and the approach taken; but with new technology will surely come new threats for Japan to deal with in 2019 and 2020. Network security across the different networks (OCOG, scoring, press, broadcast and public) needs to be balanced with the need to actually provide a user friendly service. This is not easily understood in a country which has tended to develop its own mobile network technology for example. Another area where London may have shown the way is in working with other country’s intelligence forces to share threat data. There is too the latest development from the last European Football championships, where it was found that having a uniformed police presence from each of the participating countries reduced hooliganism – apparently, you are less likely to misbehave in front of your local plod. Quite how open the Japanese authorities will be to this type of initiative remains to be seen. Training of any private security bodies, and of those sent from the public sector, will surely be crucial in ensuring a safe and secure 2019 and 2020; but we have yet to see concrete plans on how to achieve this. So while the need is there, it is not yet clear how UK expertise could be practically employed beyond the sharing of experiences of London 2012 and RWC 2015.

Tourism and Visitor Experience Japan’s two major destinations – Tokyo and Kyoto – are already bursting at the seams with tourists and business travellers. 2015 was a record year for inbound tourism, with the cheap yen playing a part, and particularly spectacular growth from mainland China. The government is already considering upping its targets – hitting around 19.7million in 2015, the 20 million original target for 2020 looks unambitious now. But there are problems. Hotels are running at close to capacity, but operators are finding it difficult to bring new capacity on stream as real estate prices and construction costs rise. Tourism is heavily focused on a few key locations, and the industry is very much supplier led – you get what they think you want, not what you might actually want in terms of facilities and experience. English language, credit cards, mobile access and wifi are all cited as challenges and annoyances for visitors, as well as room supply.


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This overlaps with the need to work on the audience experience for 2019 and 2020. Branding, marketing and promotion of RWC and Olympics, as well as ensuring a quality experience will require planning and execution which will challenge the available expertise in Japan. And simply having the capacity to deal with the volume of demand at the RWC and Olympics will be enough of a challenge. But in a country which rightly prides itself on its wonderful food culture, accepting that some external assistance may be both desirable and necessary could be a hurdle.

Volunteers As in London, there will be two volunteer forces; 80,000 games volunteers organised and trained by TOCOG, and 48,000 city volunteers organised by TMG. There may be other volunteer programmes too at local level; and RWC will have its own volunteer programmes based around venues. TMG in fact has already kicked things off with a programme called “Omotenashi Tokyo.” (“Omotenashi” means “entertain wholeheartedly,” and has become a slogan for quality of service, in which Japan takes justifiable pride.) Omotenashi Tokyo is a programme of street tourist guidance around two of the busiest stations in Tokyo, Shinjuku and Ueno, done in pairs by volunteers in a rather natty blue uniform from Friday to Sunday every week. There is though a challenge. This is that the level of interest in volunteering is only 22%, according to a survey by Japan’s Cabinet Office in July 2015, so attracting and recruiting may be a problem, let alone training and managing the volunteer force. It is also too early to talk about corporate CSR activity or corporate volunteer activities in any meaningful way, although business heads are keen to put plans in place. In particular, thought is being given to the types of platforms, causes and programmes to support

Culture TMG has published Tokyo Vision for Arts and Culture, a roadmap for cultural policies specifically leading up to 2020. It is part of Tokyo’s branding initiative, and will promote Tokyo via roadshows internationally after Rio 2016. There will also be local events promoting traditional arts such as noh (dance), sado (tea ceremony), and kado (flower arrangement). They are also planning to include arts for the disabled. The report is available here: http://www.seikatubunka.metro.tokyo.jp/en/vision.html What does not yet exist is the plan for the torch relay which will come in 2019.


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The Agency for Cultural Affairs (a central government body) has an outline cultural programme, again with the objectives of promoting Japanese culture and arts. This would be done across the country domestically, and internationally; and it would involve national cultural institutions, leading artists and creators, the academic world, and national and local governments as well as the private sector. There is a great deal of interest in learning from London 2012, both the activities and the sponsorship model. But it does rather look like most of the activities will be by Japanese artists, without the international involvement that was a feature of London 2012. This also applies to the promotion and planning of the programme as far as can be judged at this early stage.

English Language Training Just about everyone accepts that Japan has a fairly miserable record of mastery of the English language. There are all sorts of reasons for this but for RWC and Tokyo 2020 the issue is what to do about it. TMG and others are investing heavily in technology through digital signage and mobile apps, with particular focus on transport, including trials of translation apps specifically for taxis, restaurants and hotels. Hospitals and clinics are also a target. But there is only so much that technology can do. One intriguing programme announced by Governor Masuzoe is for an “English Village”, where, to quote Governor Masuzoe, “elementary, middle school, and high school students spend a certain period of time with English speakers in an environment where they can only use English. By newly establishing an “English village” where students study and experience various real-life situations, we aim to have them acquire practical English.” There are a few such facilities already elsewhere in Japan, but not yet in Tokyo. Overall though the approach is rather fragmented and small scale. Immersive experience for school children is a step in the right direction, but for 2019 and 2020 to be properly run, adults will require training too. And while Tokyo 2020 can’t cure the underlying problem of poor English education, there is a pressing need for function specific training across all of the organising and delivery bodies, volunteers, and businesses expected to support the events. TMG for example is talking about recruiting up to 35,000 language volunteers by 2019 – whether these are native speakers or Japanese with good ability is not yet clear.

Rugby World Cup It is no exaggeration to say that things were looking pretty bleak for RWC 2019 over the summer. World Rugby, the World Cup tournament organising body, were dismayed that the final of their flagship tournament will not now take place in the National Stadium, which won’t be finished in time. The local


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organisers too were caught by surprise by the announcement. While moving the tournament from Japan was probably never really an option, it must have been a nervous summer for the Japan 2019 tournament organisers. Then came Brighton and the performance against South Africa which had the world on its feet. And further success against the US and Samoa. And but for ridiculous scheduling against a fresh Scotland team, Japan had a tournament to remember. It is impossible to exaggerate the effect of this success on the audience for rugby in Japan – interest has exploded, with a particularly intriguing demographic in middle aged females. Upwards of 25 million people tuned into the last game against Samoa – a single county audience record for the sport; and awareness of the 2019 tournament has risen from 20% to 30%, according to a Rakuten survey. This is a great place to start from, and the challenge now is to maintain momentum both for the team and for the tournament. The organisers are still digesting the learnings from RWC 2015, and are scheduled to reveal their plans in the first half of 2016, but the challenge is really one of marketing and logistics. There is only one stadium to build, in Kamaishi, so nothing like the infrastructure headaches of Tokyo 2020. The final has already found a home at the Yokohama International Stadium and, without any fuss, a logo has been produced – based on the rising sun of Japan and Mount Fuji in a truncated oval shape. But marketing takes money. As well as needing a plan which uses 2015’s excitement to build attention and affection for the game at national and local levels, money needs to be spent on engaging and building this new audience. It will be a missed opportunity if the sport goes back to its traditional minority and inward-looking status. The issue though is that 2019’s organisers need funding ahead of their prime source of revenue, which will be ticket sales. Without this, and without a really powerful marketing plan, a lot of the goodwill the sport now enjoys could disappear, and that would be a real shame. Listed below are the venues. One area which Rugby World Cups seems to do very well, and is a focus for 2019, are the fanzones. Whether on matchday near a venue, or showing games from other venues, these are important parts of the tournament. It will be interesting to see what the plans are for these in 2019 – done properly, they could be really exciting events across the whole country.

Rugby World Cup 2019 Venue Table

Stadium City, prefecture Capacity Prefecture Population (million)

Sapporo Dome Sapporo,

Hokkaido 41,410 5.5

Kamaishi Recovery Memorial

Kamaishi, Iwate 16,187 1.3


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Stadium Kumagaya Rugby Ground

Kumagaya, Saitama

24,000 7.1

Tokyo Stadium Tokyo 49,970 13.2 International Stadium, Yokohama

Yokohama, Kanagawa

72,327 9.0

Shizuoka Stadium

Shizuoka 50,889 3.8

Toyota Stadium Toyota City, Aichi 45,000 7.4 Hanazono Rugby Stadium

Osaka 30,000 8.9

Misaki Park Stadium

Kobe, Hyogo 30,132 5.6

Hakatanomori Stadium

Fukuoka 22,563 5.1

Umakana Yokana Stadium

Kumamoto 32,000 1.8

Oita Bank Dome Oita 40,000 1.2

Business and Procurement

Phase

Actions

RWC

2015

Project design, delivery planning Venue Development

Games Foundation Plan

Tokyo 2020 sponsors – Gold Partner, Official Partner, Official

Supporter Regional and University

Engagement Cabinet Minister

RWC 2015 Venue selection

2016

Rio Olympics Aug 5th – 21st

Legacy plan issued Tokyo 2020 Emblem Volunteer recruitment

Planning Phase continuing Final soccer venue agreement

Handover ceremony at Rio Rio games debrief in Tokyo, Autumn

Guidebook for pre game training camps

Start of cultural activities

Pool draw

2017-19

Delivery and Fitout

Licensing, tmerchandising, promotion

Torch Relay Plan Test Events

Ticketing Stadium Construction Starts

2017 - 2018 Tournament schedule

Ticket sales One year to go

2020

Games Operation Phase

Stadium completion Torch relay, Cultural Olympiad, City

Dressing, Live Sites

2019 RWC

2021

Dissolution & Legacy

RWC 2019 & TOKYO 2020


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The BCCJ continues to believe that there will be significant business opportunities based on RWC 2019 and Tokyo 2020. That said, progress to date has been slow; and for future business, the procurement process will present challenges. We had assumed that UK consulting and advisory services would be in strong demand to assist with master planning, governance, organisational issues, financial planning and control, compliance, procurement etc. There have indeed been some early successes, but in practice though the organisers have not bought in these services to the level anticipated. The business has not been lost to other international competitors or local companies; rather the business has simply been less than anticipated. But a slow start here does not mean that other opportunities will not exist. As we have said elsewhere in the report, there is a lot to be delivered, and time is running out – so the pace of procurement should really pick up from now. This is particularly the case now that the masterplan is in place, venues have been agreed, and the focus can change to construction and delivery. There is also the Rio factor – once the baton is passed, minds will surely be concentrated, both for organisers and for suppliers. That said, the procurement process may be a challenge. Bid periods can be short, and RFPs vague in scope, and only available in Japanese. It would be common too to require a Japanese business licence and some local presence. There will also be some home bias in procurement, despite Japan being a party to the 2012 Revised WTO Agreement on Government Procurement which has strong provisions on discrimination against foreign suppliers and biased tendering. It is instructive to look at the timeline and process for construction of three of the venues – the Aquatics Centre, Ariake Arena, and Sea Forest Waterway. October 16th 2015 – TMG publish contract notice November 26th/ 27th 2015 – deadline for applications December 9th/ 10th – hearings regarding technical proposals January 15th 2016 – announcement of winners All of this was in Japanese. The winners were all Japanese companies, in each case joint ventures, and reports suggest that no foreign companies submitted proposals. So there are issues about the notifications and processes involved in public procurement, particularly in construction, where compliance with Japan’s strict earthquake regulations adds an additional level of local complexity. That said, we continue to believe that opportunities will exist for the right companies in a number of areas. This even applies to construction – specialist equipment and knowledge will still be entry points, although as suppliers or sub contractors rather than at lead level.


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• transportation and transportation planning • physical security • cyber security • last mile arrangements • city live sites/ fanzones • volunteer programmes • cultural programmes • temporary event overlay • sponsorship activation • media relations/ PR • marketing • ticketing • international promotion and engagement • English language apps and training • IT • workforce planning, training • medical services • catering • planning, advisory and consultancy • spectator experience

So no one is saying it is going to be easy, but such is the breadth of need to really deliver successful events, and so high are London 2012 and RWC 2015 held in regard, that UK expertise, services and products will surely find a way in. It just has to be worked at. TOCOG Functional Areas (for reference) 1 Accommodation 2 Accreditation 3 Arrivals & Departures 4 Brand Protection 5 Brand, Identity & Look of the Games 6 Broadcast Services 7 Business Development 8 Ceremonies 9 City Activities & Live Sites 10 City Operations 11 Cleaning & Waste 12 Communications (including Digital Media and Publications) 13 Communications, Coordination & Command/Control 14 Culture 15 Doping Control 16 Education


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17 Energy 18 Event Services 19 Finance 20 Food & Beverage 21 Government Relations 22 IF Services (included under Sport) 23 Information & Knowledge Management 24 Language Services 25 Legacy 26 Legal 27 Licensing 28 Logistics 29 Marketing Partner Services 30 Medical Services 31 NOC & NPC Services

32 Olympic & Paralympic Family Services (including Dignitary Programme and Protocol)

33 Operational Readiness 34 Paralympic Games Integration 35 People Management 36 Planning & Coordination 37 Press Operations 38 Procurement (including Rate Card) 39 Risk Management 40 Security 41 Signage 42 Spectator Experience 43 Sport 44 Sustainability 45 Technology 46 Test Events Management 47 Ticketing 48 Torch Relay 49 Transport 50 Venue Management

51 Venues & Infrastructure (including Venue Development and General Infrastructure)

52 Villages Management Source: Tokyo 2020 Games Foundation Plan


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About the weather It comes as a shock to many visitors just how hot Japan can get in the summer. And how wet July, August and the early part of September are, in addition to often being scorching – and if it is not hot, there may well be a typhoon on the way. The RWC is unlikely to be affected by heat – late September and October are very pleasant – but typhoons do come through. Here are the stats for 2015, from north to south. The temperatures were about normal, although it seems to be getting slightly hotter every year. October was particularly dry. Kamaishi, Iwate Tokyo (Haneda

Airport) Fukuoka City

Temp (C)

Rainfall (mm)

Temp Rainfall Temp Rainfall

July 27 45 29.6 222 29.8 266 August 26.7 300 30 93 31.4 319 September 24.2 377 25.8 384 27.3 146 October 19.5 48 22.1 50 23.5 83 November 14.5 149 17.7 111 19.6 140 Temp – average daily high, 2015 Rainfall – total recorded in 2015 Source – Japan Meteorological Agency

Documents

Global Sporting Events in Japan: Highlights and Opportunities