Aware that voters outside of the capital may lack the degree of anticipation for the 2020 Olympics that can be felt among Tokyo politicians and corporations who will directly profit from the games, and sensitive to rumors that taxpayers elsewhere will get stuck with a post-Olympics tax bill, the government has realized it needs to make the event more popular nationwide.
As of this month, nearly 200 cities, towns and villages across Japan have registered to become so-called host towns. Cities such as Osaka, Nara and Kobe, as well as towns like Kyotanba, Kyoto Prefecture, have registered to serve as Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic host towns. Elaborate plans have been filed with the Cabinet Office (which is overseeing the initiative) to have athletes from Denmark, New Zealand, South Korea, Australia, Switzerland and Turkey, among others, pay a visit — even if it is a brief one — to places outside the capital.
Of course, there is the obligatory mention in the proposals about promoting international friendship with Olympic athletes, learning about different cultures, teaching visitors local customs and showing the world that, yes indeed, Japan is not just Tokyo. Or Kyoto. Or any of the other well-trodden media stereotypes that we usually encounter.
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