A year before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic games which will be held in the Land of the Rising Sun, various and sectors in the country are already looking forward to participate in the Olympic hype. Japan expects to attract hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists and sports enthusiasts across the globe during the course of the much anticipated international sports event.
The Japanese government is also preoccupied in its undertaking to ensure public safety as well as the smooth flow of the Olympic events. Some prefectures are also preparing their surfing spots for the Olympics in order to boost their economy and tourism since the surfing competition will be launched for the first time during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Ichinomiya in Chiba Prefecture is designated to host the surfing event during the Olympics. Approximately six hundred thousand surfers come to visit Ichinomiya year in and year out. Since it is located along the coastal area of the Pacific, Tsurigasaki beach is a perfect spot for surf boarding especially because it is accessible from the capital city of Tokyo.
A teen surfer, Bunta Terada said that the coast has “good waves” which is provides perfect opportunity for surfers to master their surfboarding skills. This is the reason why Ichinomiya is gaining tremendous popularity among surfers not only in Japan but also on a global scale.
According to the esteemed mayor of Ichinomiya, “The Olympics is a significant opportunity for us.” “I hope we can use the economic effects of surfing to revitalize other industries.” With the great surge of international tourists and surfing enthusiasts who are expected to visit their prefecture during the Olympic games, Ichinomiya aspires to improve its economic standing.
Actually, in October of 2015, the Municipal Government of Ichinomiya undertook to implement an economic strategic plan which focuses on “surfonomics.” Their local government established a so-called “surf street” along the coast with some food shops and restaurants.
Reference: Japan’s surfing towns prepare to cash in on Olympic wave
