Tokyo 2020 is taking shape two years before the Opening of the Olympic Games

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) celebrates an important milestone today; it is exactly two years until the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on 24 July 2020.

To mark the occasion, Tokyo 2020 has published status reports, including photo and film materials, chronicling the venue construction progress being made towards a successful Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

The IOC confirmed their satisfaction with overall progress during the visit of their Coordination Commission to Tokyo last week.

Commission Chair John Coates commented following the visit:

Tokyo 2020 comes a significant step closer to delivering Olympic Games that will bring Japan and the world together. The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee has presented considerable progress since our previous Coordination Commission visit last year, especially as it relates to venue and operational readiness.

Preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Games remain on track. Construction of major new permanent venues, such as the Olympic Stadium, Olympic and Paralympic Village, Sea Forest Waterway, Canoe Slalom Course, and the Olympic Aquatics Centre, is around 40 per cent complete. Following the Games, all of these venues will be available for public use, an important feature of the Games’ legacy.

Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, the first new permanent venue to be completed, is already open to the public and has hosted dozens of multipurpose events.

Tokyo 2020: Host venue stats

* The progress rates for the Sea Forest Waterway, Canoe Slalom Course, Ariake Arena, Olympic and Paralympic Village and Olympic Aquatics Centre were announced during a press tour held by TMG on July 17. The figure for the Olympic Stadium was announced at a press tour held by JSC on July 18.

Construction of the New National Stadium is due to finish on schedule in November 2019. The Olympic and Paralympic Village is scheduled to be completed in December 2019.

Tokyo 2020 and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) will jointly host a countdown event tonight at Tokyo Skytree Town® to celebrate the two year milestone until the opening of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 with fans.

With 731 days until the opening of the Olympic Games, the ceremony will display 731 commemorative lanterns that are based on the theme of a summer festival and will contain messages about the Tokyo 2020 Games from speakers, athletes and children.

The event will also feature an appearance by the Tokyo 2020 mascots and special illuminations with the cooperation of Tokyo Skytree. The ceremony will close with athletes and participants performing the Tokyo Gorin Ondo 2020 dance in a momentous and exciting celebration of the ‘2 Years to Go’ milestone.

An event marking 2 Years to Go to the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be held on 25 August at the Mega Web, an automotive-focused theme park located in Aomi, in the Tokyo Bay area.