Japan Post Holdings will leverage their nationwide post offices, of which there are more than 24,000, in a bid to contribute to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The agreement is due to run until December 31, 2020, and will see Japan Post Holdings support Japan’s Olympic and Paralympic teams at numerous events, including Rio 2016 and Pyeongchang 2018.

"I am delighted to announce that today we have concluded a Tokyo 2020 Official Partner contract with Japan Post Holdings," said Tokyo 2020 President Yoshirō Mori.

"With the support of some 300,000 Japan Post staff in post offices throughout Japan, we look forward to further building momentum in the lead up to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games."

The Japan Post Group established the Japan Post Group Women's Athletics Team in April 2014, developing and supporting middle-and-long distance runners able to compete in road relay races.

The company's aim is to contribute to local communities and society through sports activities, being mindful of the common link between postal services that deliver mail and road relay races in which a sash is passed between competitors of each leg of the race, they claimed. 

"We are very proud to become a Tokyo 2020 Official Partner," said Taizo Nishimuro, President and chief executive of Japan Post Holdings.

"Since our privatisation in 2007, Japan Post Holdings has been working to raise our corporate value by increasingly focusing on enhancing convenience for our customers through our nationwide post office network.

"Japan Post Holdings has also been working to contribute to local communities and society through sport, including the establishment of the Japan Post Group Women's Athletics Team in April 2014, and sponsoring various sporting events.

"We hope to contribute to the success of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the success of the Japanese national Olympic and Paralympic teams, and to promote the Olympic and Paralympic Movements in Japan through our extensive network of nationwide post offices."

Japan Post Holdings becomes the 18th Partner of Tokyo 2020, made up of 13 Gold Partners, and five Official Partners.

Yamato Holdings were announced as an Official Partner earlier this month, following on from Tokyo Gas, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines.

The Tokyo 2020 sponsorship programme is divided into four separate categories, with the International Olympic Committee’s TOP programme constituting the very highest level of Olympic sponsorship.

The worldwide TOP Partners who support the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are Coca-Cola, Atos, Bridgestone, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung, Toyota and Visa.

The three other categories are designated for domestic sponsors with the highest tier made up of Gold Partners, and the second and third tiers comprised of Official Partners and Official Supporters respectively.


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