In a remarkable display of Japanese marketing muscle and the readiness with which the country’s corporate sector is embracing the return of the Games to Japanese soil, the ¥150 billion (£769 million/$1.2 billion/€1.1 billion) target, itself revised sharply upwards from the figure contained in the Bid Book, is set to be eclipsed by a wide margin

Tsunekazu Takeda, President of the Japanese Olympic Committee and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, confirmed in an exclusive interview that this figure had already been achieved via the project’s 13 Tier One, or Gold, partners.

Tokyo 2020 last month added its first two Tier Two sponsors, in the shape of All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines.

Takeda told insidethegames that this level of sponsorship could eventually expand to more than 20 companies, in sectors including logistics, security, utilities, network equipment, food and railways.

It was also possible that one or two more Gold partners might be added, while marketing of a third sponsorship tier may begin some time next year.

“We are very satisfied,” Takeda said.

Tier-One sponsors include a string of household Japanese names, such as Asahi, Asics, Canon, Nomura, Fujitsu and Mizuho.

While all 15 Tokyo 2020 sponsors so far are Japanese, Takeda emphasised that the programme was also open to non-Japanese brands.

The disclosure means that Tokyo 2020 has already raised approximately as much in domestic sponsorship as was achieved by both Beijing 2008 and London 2012. 

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