Political economy of the Tokyo Olympics : unrestrained capital and development without sustainable principles

This book is an analysis of both contemporary Tokyo and the contemporary Olympic Games, emphasizing the role of late-stage capitalism and political economy in shaping both. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games were mired in scandal from the beginning of the bidding process all the way through to the end of the games. This was further exacerbated by the emergency postponement to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with many public opinion polls supporting further postponement or cancelation in 2021. The contributors to this volume look at the Tokyo 2020 Games in the context of other modern games and the struggle to use the games as an economic stimulus. They reveal the reality of the Olympic development in Tokyo based on evidence and concrete policy analysis. This is a valuable resource for scholars both of contemporary Japan and of the Olympics and other mega-events.

Introduction Miyo Aramata 1. Inter-City Competition and Rescaling of Global Cities: London, Tokyo, and Paris Miyo Aramata 2. The Political Economy of Mega-events as Spectacles in the Global East Hyun Bang Shin 3. The 1964 and 2020 (2021) Tokyo Olympics: Memorandum on Aspects of Urban (Re)Development Naoki Oshiro 4. Mega Events and Urban Socio-Economy: Urban Development through Tokyo 2020 and Osaka 2025 Ryo Koizumi 5. National Projects and their Local Consequences: Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and the "Symbiotic Society Host Town" Atsushi Naruse 6. Bobsleigh Tracks, Materiality and Affect: A Note on the Olympic Legacy Susumu Yamaguchi 7. Securitization at the Tokyo 2020 Games: The Transformation of Public Space before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic Kazuaki Sugiyama Conclusion Miyo Aramata