Japanese municipalities to set up 2,000 olympic public viewing sites

June 13, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese municipalities will set up public viewing sites at 2,000 locations across the country during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, a group of municipal leaders said Wednesday.

The move is designed to give a boost to the sporting event and promote regional revitalization, Isato Kunisada, mayor of Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture, and head of the group, said at a press conference.

The public viewing sites, ranging from small ones that accommodate tens of people to larger ones for some 2,000 people, will be set up at such locations as parks, sports facilities, municipal offices and schools.

Visitors will be given chances to buy local specialties and play some sports. The group expects to see 20 million visitors in total.

The group aims to use the 2020 Games for regional revitalization. Currently, it brings together 578 municipal leaders across the country. Jiji Press