Fifty-seven years after having organised the Summer Olympic games, the Japanese capital will be hosting a Summer edition for the second time, from 23 July to 8 August 2021. The Summer Olympic games in 1964 radically transformed the country. According to the organisers of the event in 2021, the Games of the XXXII Summer Olympiad of the modern era will be “the most innovative ever organised, and will rest on three fundamental principles to transform the world: striving for your personal best (achieving your personal best); accepting one another (unity in diversity); and passing on a legacy for the future (connecting to tomorrow)”.

Aligning with the reforms advocated by Olympic Agenda 2020, the Tokyo Games will use as many existing competition venues as possible, namely those built for the Games in 1964, such as the prestigious Nippon Budokkan for judo, the Baji Koen Park for equestrian events, and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium for handball. The Tokyo National Stadium, where the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and athletics competitions will be staged, will be completely revamped and replaced by a new arena.

Japan has been an Olympic land since the Summer Games of 1964, which were the first to be staged in Asia. In 2021, the country will host its fourth Olympic Games, if we include the Winter Games of 1972 in Sapporo and of 1998 in Nagano.