Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Dates Set

Above, Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The dates have been set for the 2020 Olympics Summer Games in Tokyo.  It will be interesting to see what the exchange rates between the Japanese yen and foreign currencies at that time. Currently, the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen is hovering around ¥100/dollar.

According to The Mainichi:

The Tokyo Summer Olympics will be held from July 24 to Aug. 9, 2020, while the Paralympics will be held from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6, 2020 under the theme, "Discover Tomorrow," according to a plan that Tokyo's bid committee submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

Of 33 venues, 28, or 85 percent, will be concentrated within a radius of 8 kilometers from the athletes' village in downtown Tokyo, under the slogan, "Athlete First." 

The venues will be located in two zones -- the Heritage Zone, where facilities used for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics will be reused, and the Tokyo Bay Zone that symbolizes growing Tokyo. 

The National Stadium will be rebuilt to be used as the main stadium of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will stage the opening and closing ceremonies as well as track-and-field events.

Above, Atami City is a an hour's ride from Tokyo via the bullet train.  Photo by Armand Vaquer. 

For visitors going to Tokyo for the Olympics, there's plenty to see and do in Japan. Thanks to Japan's transportation system, visitors can easily see many attractions in and outside of Tokyo. The JR Rail Pass will be a great asset for visitors who want to venture out of Tokyo to other Japanese locales such as Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nagoya, Sendai, Fukuoka, Mount Fuji, Kamakura and other places. The bullet trains will take them there with speed and efficiency. Since Japan is roughly the size of California, it won't take too long to get to many places.

Above, the Imperial Palace's Nijubashi Bridge.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

People wanting to visit Japan during the Olympics have seven years to save their pennies. Tickets to the Opening Ceremonies will be going for ¥150,000. Tickets to different venues start at ¥4,400, with an average of ¥7,700.

So start saving!

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