Abstract
The Public Opinion Survey on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a longitudinal survey series that has been conducted since 2016 to clarify public interests in the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics including expectations and concerns as well as requests for broadcasting services. This paper reports the findings from the fourth survey held in October 2018.The fourth survey distinctively finds the change in the respondents’ awareness of the Paralympics and para-sports. Those who think the Paralympic Games “should be covered as a sports event in the same way as the Olympic Games” have increased from the first survey (from 37 to 43%). As to para sports, more people think para sports are “recognized” in modern society than in past surveys, and those who have concrete image of para sports as sports, such as “displaying great performances,” “cheerful” and “powerful,” has increased.The public evaluation on preparation for the Olympics and Paralympics has largely improved. Two years ago, 80 per cent had harsh opinions, finding it “not going well,” but those finding it “going well” have increased with each survey, and this latest survey has more than half of the respondents answering so for the first time. Meanwhile, regarding concerns, those who worried about the impacts on Tokyo, such as traffic congestion and worsening of public safety or living environments, have increased.In contrast to these changes, there was no change in the public opinions about Tokyo’s hosting the Olympics and Paralympics and in their interests in the coming games. Approx. 85 per cent find Tokyo’s hosting the games “good” and “fairly good,” and approx. 80 per cent are interested in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and approx. 60 percent in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics—little change in these figures over the past two years.Regarding desired broadcast services, “catch-up service” and “ultrahigh definition and hyper reality” have always been ranked high since the first survey. However, viewers’ needs vary depending on genders, age groups, and devices they plan to watch the Olympics and Paralympics: for example. The expectation for “catch-up service” is higher among women aged 50 and under, and “ultrahigh definition and hyper reality” among those aged 60 and over.
