Thinking about the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games: Globalization, Urban and Regional Development, and Security

Abstract

Tokyo will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020. In 1964, this event accelerated the growth of Japan after the Second World War. In 2020, it could promote the reorganization of the city for the era of deindustrialization instigated by globalization. Using fieldwork, this study analyzes the urban and regional development resulting from the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988, Nagano in 1998, and London in 2012 to sharpen the perspective for Tokyo in 2020. This article also explores the 2016 G7 Summit, held in Ise-Shima, as it served to test the security policies for the upcoming 2020 Olympics. The research findings were as follows. The developments resulting from the games in Seoul and Nagano provided an engine of economic growth for the former and caused a significant deficit for the latter. Nonetheless, the development in both host cities proved to be a foundation for their urban infrastructure and local industry. London provided a model for the redevelopment of socially deprived areas, while the heavy security presence at the G7 Summit produced an unforeseen source of tourism.