What Will Tokyo Be Left with after the Olympic and Paralympic Games ?

Abstract

What will Tokyo be left with after the Olympic and Paralympic Games ? This article demonstrates that the previous Games have left little positive legacy to the host cities, and that there seems to be no reason to expect otherwise for Tokyo. Applying the definition of “legacy” as “structural changes” caused by a mega-event, it is argued that the widely claimed “economic impact” is unlikely and should not be considered as a legacy. The article then deconstructs the myths of tourism legacies, before detailing the negative legacies of Olympic-related urban development. Finally, it introduces the concept of celebration capitalism as a theory to explain the comprehensive structural changes that the Games truly bring about. Referring to the incidents of recent years, I argue that celebration capitalism seems also to have materialized in Tokyo.