Japan through the lens of the Tokyo Olympics

July 24, 2020 Tokyo was set to host the world's largest mega-sports event: The Olympic summer games. Due to the pandemic, the games have been postponed to begin on July 23, 2021. Since May 2018, the DIJ has researched about social, economic, and political aspects of the Olympic and Paralympic games. In the center of this research project stands the open-access book Japan through the lens of the Tokyo Olympics. Editors and authors are the DIJ's current and past researchers, as well as cooperation partners. The book addresses both the academic community as well as the general public, with short, highly accessible chapters.

Tokyo 2020 was constructed to embrace diversity and inclusiveness in society, foster sustainability, boost Japan's economy, improve social cohesion, create a feeling of unity and pride for the country, and increase citizens' active participation in fostering the well-being of society. By using the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a lens onto city and country, the book offers hidden insights and new perspectives on city planning, cultural politics, financial issues, language use, security concepts, education, volunteerism and construction work. It explains the many stakeholders, institutions, average citizens, interest groups, and protest groups involved, and features the struggle over Tokyo's extreme summer heat, food standards, the implementation of diversity in regard to disabilities, sexual minorities and technological innovations.