The Summer Olympics at Rio have packed up, the competitors have returned home to a hero’s welcome, and attention has turned towards the next Olympic outing at Tokyo 2020. Having previously hosted the games in 1964, Japan knows this is an opportunity to bring to life an infrastructure which is slowing down and put Japan back on top of the leader board for reliable and innovative engineering.

Introducing the ‘Olympic Economy’

In the run up to the 1964 Summer Olympics, it became clear to Japan’s government that the only way to cope with the large number of spectators and Olympians arriving en masse to the small island was to revolutionise the country’s infrastructure. As a result, the Shinkansen – or Bullet Train – was developed; freeways were introduced to Tokyo, and the city’s ports were transformed.

The decision to invest in Tokyo’s infrastructure ahead of 1964’s games led to a radical new building programme, which is rumoured to have cost the equivalent of the entire national budget, and symbolised a turning point for Japan – back on the world stage for the first time since their defeat in World War Two. The mass boom felt across Japan’s industries – including television manufacturers who saw new customers buy in droves in order to spectate at home – led to the coining of the term ‘Olympic Economy’.

Is Tokyo Lagging?

Unfortunately, despite being the home of many technological innovations in recent decades, Tokyo seems to be losing its shine. A 2014 whitepaper released by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Land, Transport and Tourism highlighted how the capital has started to lag behind ‘rapidly emerging Asian cities’ when it comes to convenience.

Although the original infrastructure from Tokyo 1964 is still in place – demonstrating its impressive longevity and the quality of the work undertaken at the time – it has started to fade in its efficacy, overshadowed by innovations in other areas of the continent. To truly keep up with likes of China’s road-straddling bus, Japan needs to (at the very least) update the infrastructure in place – if not completely revolutionise it.

Olympic Innovations

Although planning and work for the 2020 Olympics began as early as 2013, we have yet to see any concrete infrastructure innovations. However, if the hints from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are to be believed, we can expect a high-tech affair from the next summer games.

Following Abe’s public support of robotic technology last year, speculation is rife that driverless taxis could be the Bullet Train of 2020’s games. As we’ve seen huge developments in driverless vehicles already, this wouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but would be an interesting first large-scale outing for the technology.

It’s not just theories on how participants and spectators will be getting around that’s sparked rumours of new Olympic innovations. As was witnessed in the 1964 games, an inter-industry boom followed, and if reports are correct, security technology could also be going for gold in 2020. According to some, facial recognition, stadium passes and a smartphone app which guides spectators to their seats could also be amongst the technology present for the next games.

A Chance for Gold?

The 2020 Olympic games present a perfect opportunity for Tokyo to take back its status at the top of global rankings for capital city convenience, but first there are certain obstacles to overcome – not least the weakening of the Yen and the country’s own persistent construction industry skills crisis. This is exasibated by Japan’s aging population, shrinking workforce and growing debt.

One way to overcome these challenges is to allow foreign firms to participate in the tender process, which has been the case since 2013, however the procedure is far from simple. To make a bid for any Tokyo 2020 infrastructure projects, foreign firms must first be approved under the Japanese Business Construction Law – a process which is carried out exclusively in Japanese.

Despite the challenges, one thing is certain: the world is excited for Tokyo 2020, as are the city’s residents. Perhaps it is that shared enthusiasm which can trigger another golden age for Japan’s capital.

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