Tokyo last hosted the Olympics in 1964 in a very different age of rapid economic growth and national recovery from the destruction of World War II.
The Shinkansen bullet train and One Cup sake are two lasting legacies from 1964, what will the 2020 Olympics leave behind as cultural icons?
The ongoing melt-down in Fukushima was not enough to sway the IOC delegates in their vote but it is to be hoped that sustainability, safety and green technology are some of key guiding concepts of the massive construction projects that will now begin in Japan's capital - not just more mega-expensive white elephants churned up by the "Concrete State."
The fact Hadid is a woman working in a nation where less than 20% of all graduates from Japan's top university is a step in the right direction.
The last big sporting event held in Japan (and Korea), the 2002 World Cup was a huge success, as the country loosened up a little and embraced the world, before sliding back into another decade of economic stagnation, isolation, poor relations with its nearest neighbors and increasingly a shift to the right.
Let's hope the 2020 Olympics have a re-energizing effect on the country and that people will be legally allowed to dance in nightclubs after midnight to celebrate and enjoy the Olympic spirit.
© JapanVisitor.com
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