Thursday 24 May 2012

Free lecture: host cities and Olympic games

(Left) Olympic Memorial Tower, Metropolitan Komazawa Olympic Park at Setagaya, Japan. Photo by jumbo185usa from www.flickr.com. Used under a Creative Commons License.

(Right) The Arcelor Mittal Orbit. Photo by Andy Wilkes from www.flickr.com. Used under a Creative Commons License.


Not the winning but the taking part: what do the host city experiences of London and Tokyo signal for the future of the Olympic Games?



Date: 15th June 2012


Time: From 6:30 pm


Venue: JETRO London, Mid City Place, 71 High Holborn, London


As London readies itself to host the 2012 Olympic Games amidst extensive discussion of what the legacy of the event will be, there is also a great deal of interest in similar topics in Tokyo as it prepares its bid to host the Games in 2020. The Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games were a key part of the development of Japan in the context of its post-war recovery and had an important role in how the city came to be as it is today.


This historical story will be addressed by Prof Yasushi Aoyama, Professor at the Graduate School of Governance Studies of Meiji University, Tokyo, and former Vice-Governor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Prof Aoyama will also provide a Japanese perspective on the London 2012 Games as part of considering what the role of the Olympic Games can and should be in the future, considering the Olympic movement’s interaction with problems facing cities around the world.


His presentation will be responded to by Prof John Gold of Oxford Brookes University, who is the co-author of Olympic Cities City Agendas, Planning, and the World’s Games, 1896 to 2016 and an international authority on the history of urban festivals. Therefore this event will provide an intriguing range of perspectives on the impact of the Olympic Games in terms of politics, development and how cities evolve over time, whilst looking forward to see what positive role the Games can play in the future.


This event is free but booking is essential. To reserve a place, please contact event@jpf.org.uk with your name, details and those of any guests before Wednesday 13th June.


The Japan Foundation, Russell Square House, 10-12 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EH

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