The Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands livestreamed the Vincent Van Gogh & Tokyo Olympic online event in collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan on July 9.   Curators and researchers at the Van Gogh Museum took part in the digital event which was hosted on TeamNL Tokyo Expo. In addition, researcher Joost van der Hoeven and Olympic athletes Candy Jacobs and Keet Oldenbeuving will make a sporty contribution to the livestream. Their sport skateboarding is an Olympic discipline for the first time.   The event served to strengthen Netherlands-Japan ties at the upcoming Olympic Games.

Lacoste has announced the release of a new collection themed on the Tokyo 1964 Summer Olympics in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee. The collection arrives in time for the new run of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics which was originally set to run last year but was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be held from July 23 to August 8. Lacoste's collection will go on pre-sale in Japan on April 29 before rolling out at Olympic Museum stores in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada, and Mexico on July 15.   1964 was a historical year for Japan as the country saw rapid innovation and evolution in art, lifestyle, fashion, and many other areas. The Lacoste capsule collection respects the traditions of the Olympic Games at the time while adding a contemporary touch. It features the Tokyo 1964 logo created by Japanese graphic designer Yusaku Kamekura and fuses it with Lacoste's French style, turning the emblem an eye-catching gold and adding Lacoste's iconic crocodile. The line-up includes polo shirts, tees, nylon hoodies, sweatshirts, caps, and more. The items are made from materials like pique fabric, fleece, cotton, and water resistant nylon. For the Japan pre-sale of the capsule collection, Lacoste Japan is holding a campaign called "THE POWER OF TOKYO 1964" which hopes to charge the athletes of Tokyo 2020 with the energy of Tokyo in 1964, a year of innovation. A special video was released for the promotion featuring background music by Towa Tei who was born in the year 1964. The song, entitled MAGIC, is a bridge connecting the years 1964 and 2021.

Airbnb, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have announced a five-day summer festival which will see more than 100 Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences hosted virtually by some of the world's best athletes. The festival will begin on July 24, when the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 were originally scheduled to begin, and is a way for athletes to earn an income while they share their passion for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and their individual sport with guests.   The five-day line-up, which will take place across multiple time zones, will showcase a variety of interactive Online Experiences that guests can book on Airbnb from July 22. Spectators can also watch select Online Experiences live or on replay on the Airbnb Olympic and Paralympic YouTube channels. While many hosts will continue to offer their activities after the event ends, several will be once-in-a-lifetime Online Experiences available exclusively during the festival. These exclusive experiences are the following: 25 July: Build resilience to overcome obstacles with Yusra Mardini (swimming, IOC Refugee Olympic Team Rio 2016); learn about returning to sport after motherhood with Allyson Felix (athletics, USA); and work up a sweat in an inclusive session with Tatyana McFadden (athletics, USA) 26 July: Cook up a storm with legend Colin Jackson (athletics, Great Britain); join a scenic training ride with Jonny Brownlee (triathlon, Great Britain); discover velodrome secrets with Elia Viviani (track cycling, Italy)   27 July: Chat mind, body and spirit with Jackie Joyner-Kersee (athletics, USA); push through boundaries and level up in life with Meb Keflezighi (marathon, USA); get vulnerable to unlock greatness with Kerri Walsh Jennings (beach volleyball, USA); and Zumba beachside in paradise with Tom Hintnaus (athletics, Brazil) 28 July: Get a glimpse into quarantine training with two-time Grand Slam-winning Naomi Osaka (tennis, Japan); run, breathe and connect with a sprinter Zhenye Xie (athletics, China); learn a Grand Slam-inspired training regime with Sania Mirza (tennis, India); and master perseverance with Pita Taufatofua (taekwondo and cross-country skiing, Tonga) 29 July: Fall in love with sneaker culture with Rui Hachimura (basketball, Japan); get up close and personal at home with Jordy Smith (surfing, South Africa); see beyond the boundaries of vision with blind champion Lex Gillette (athletics, USA)  

Rui Hachimura | Comment

"Representing Japan in the Olympics is one of my biggest dreams. I had trained and prepared to participate in the Games this year, but Tokyo 2020 was unfortunately postponed due to COVID-19. The world is facing tough challenges right now, but I believe the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 will be a wonderful chance to celebrate everyone's determination through this time. I'm looking forward to celebrating together with my teammates in front of fans in my home country. The Olympics as I know them won't have an effect on motivation to perform, even if they're hold a year later. As an athlete, I want to see the happy figures of my fans around the world. Let us come together and keep on fighting. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in Tokyo next year." *Comment translated from Japanese by MMN.   Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences will provide economic opportunities for athletes to help support them.

SEGA has revealed that Sonic at the Olympic Games - Tokyo 2020™ has pre-registered 2 million users across Android, iOS, and FireOS platforms.  

What is Sonic at the Olympic Games - Tokyo 2020™?

As the title suggests, it's a mobile game that features characters from across the Sonic the Hedgehog series at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. Set to release worldwide on May 7, 2020, it features both new and popular games that are set to take place at Tokyo 2020ーwhich has now been postponed to July 2021. Players can rank online on the worldwide leaderboard while they compete in games set around famous sights in Tokyo.   To celebrate 2 million registered users, players are being gifted with the song Glimmering Gift - Super Transformation (SONIC MANIA) from the soundtrack as well as Training Points which can be used to unlock character actions and new stages. SEGA Japan is also holding a competition on its official Twitter account. 5 people who follow the account and retweet the competition tweet will receive the above-pictured exclusive jacket.   Pre-register for the game here: https://www.olympicvideogames.com/sonic/en/   TM IOC/TOKYO2020/USOC 36USC220506. © 2019 IOC. All RightsReserved. ©SEGA.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and Airbnb announced in December last year a major long-term partnership to support the Olympic Movement which will run from 2020-2028. During this period, Airbnb will offer unique accommodation and experiences, and experience tours hosted by Olympians and athletes will also take place.The IOC, IPC, and Airbnb are currently actively recruiting hosts to offer these services. These Olympic and Paralympic hosts include not only those who have participated in previous Olympic games, but those set to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics (henceforth Tokyo 2020) too. Olympians and Paralympians will not only share their wisdom about the games and their sports, but their skills, knowledge, and experiences with things other than sports that they are also passionate about, e.g. the best way to brew delicious coffee, useful business self-motivation tips for setting goals and building confidence, and so on. Athletes will also be able to freely pick the dates and times they can offer these experiences that best align with their schedules. Daichi Suzuki, Sports Director and the President of the Japan Olympians Committeeーwho also has experience as an Olympic athlete himselfーsaid: “I think it’s a really wonderful thing that athletes in Japan are helping to grow the value of the Olympics and Paralympics through sports with the support of Airbnb while using the opportunity to think about their careers to give rise to new experiences. I expect Olympians and Payalympians will use the Tokyo 2020 games as a framework to carve a second career for themselves, and that it will be part of the legacy of the games.” *Translated from Japanese   To date, Airbnb’s ‘Experience’ service in Japan has provided new careers for people and has been an opportunity for people to earn an income. This is done by people opening up their houses to travellers, or vacant properties being shared by travellers, to teach them a new skillーall of which is done under the support of Airbnb. The Experience service has garnered huge popularity around the world from foreign travellers for the diversity activities offered; there is something for everyone, no matter their age nor gender. Airbnb’s collaboration with IOC will provide the opportunity for people to experience interacting with athletes, while also providing a second career for Japanese Olympians and Paralympians, whether they are competing this year or have retired.

As excitement is on the rise worldwide in anticipation for the Tokyo 2020 Games, the world just cannot wait for the release of the iconic Nintendo Switch™ game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, which is due to be released very soon. Sega has just unveiled a small snippet of information on five events that are going to be included in the game which we are sharing with you today.Tokyo 2020 100mAim for nothing but first place in the Tokyo 2020 100m. Increase your speed with the rapid push of a button. By building up your speed before the race starts and releasing it at the correct moment, you will get off to a dashing start. The "special dash" is a way to rapidly cut down on your time. Tokyo 2020 Rugby SevensThis game will plunge you straight into the action. Work with your team of seven and use a range of tactics such as passes, strong tackles and kicks to get the upper hand. Carry the ball to the goalline to watch those points roll in. When your special gauge reaches its max power, you will be able to use a "super dash" ability to get the ball to the goalline if on the offense. If on defence, your special ability is the "special tackle", which will provide you with the power to whip the ball away from your opponent. These special abilities have the power to drastically turn the tables and are not to be taken lightly. This game features guest character Diddy Kong!Tokyo 2020 CanoeingGet your heart pumping with the thrill of competition while staying synchronised with your partner in a canoeing race. If your timing is perfect, you will pick up speed straight away. Team up with your friend and dive right into the fun. If you are falling behind, don't let your heart sink in despair. Paddle as much as you can and you will be able to catch up with the others in no time!Toyko 2020 Equestrian JumpingLet no hurdle taint your gracefulness as you soar through the sky and clear each one. You can take part in Equestrian Jumping individually or as part of a team. Be careful of sharp turns and hurdles! When you increase your speed, your stamina will drop, however, you will recover lost stamina with every hurdle you successfully clear. If you manage to clear lots of hurdles in succession, you will gain enormous amounts of speed and will be on your way to a record-breaking winner. You can also use a special dash once in this game. If you manage to use it while successfully striking a difficult pose, you will continue to zoom off to the finish line at high speed. This game features Larry Koopa as a special guest!Tokyo 2020 Table Tennis Face off in a singles match or team up with your friend for a doubles match. Your avatar will move automatically, allowing you to fully dedicate your brain power to using a range of techniques. Build up your power to change the speed and spin of the ball.Zazz has infiltrated this game to take part as a guest character!   Join in the Tokyo 2020 celebration fun with these new epic games!   TM IOC/TOKYO2020/USOC 36USC220506. © 2019 IOC. AllRights Reserved. © NINTENDO. ©SEGA.