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A few days after meeting with Olympic organizing officials in Tokyo, International OLympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach was invited to a meeting with His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito, in Tokyo.
According to a report from the IOC, the Emperor and President Bach discussed preparations for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Games during their meeting, with President Bach assuring the Emperor that plans were progressing well. Additionally, the Emperor offered congratulations to President Bach regarding the success of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, as well as the remarkable contributions of the Refugee Olympic Team.
Emperor Akihito expressed confidence in the upcoming Tokyo Games, commenting that the “Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will send a very strong message of peace and solidarity as Rio has done” and was pleased to hear that some of the events of the Tokyo Games would be held in parts of the country that were affected by the 2011 tsunami.
The largest concern surrounding the upcoming Tokyo Games is skyrocketing costs of hosting such a grand event, currently estimated around $30 billion if no cuts are made. President Bach has announced plans to work with the IOC, Tokyo organizers, city government, and Japan’s central government so that cost reductions can be made without moving several venues outside of the city.
Read more from the IOC here.
