The 99th Emperor's Cup final between Vissel Kobe and Kashima Antlers at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, January 1, 2020.
Football fans in Japan were the first to see the inside of Tokyo's National Stadium, built for this year's Olympic Games as Vissel Kobe defeated Kashima Antlers 2-0 in the Emperor's Cup Final on Wednesday.
The venue was officially opened in November, and will host track and field competitions during the Games, as well the opening and closing ceremonies. Kobe's side featured World Cup winners Andres Iniesta, Lukas Podolski, and David Villa and with the two-goal victory, clinched their first-ever Emperor's Cup, and a place in next season's AFC Champions League. After the first test event, Tokyo 2020 organizers admitted that signage and information service to audiences should be improved.
Tokyo 2020 Operations Director Yasuo Mori said during the test event, "We need to think more about the signage, as well as how to get to destinations from some areas, how to come up with easily-understood wording, and what kind of signs to use, not to mention how information should be provided to spectators who will come to the stadium."
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will take place from July 24 to August 9. The National Stadium will also house the athletics and both ceremonies of the Paralympic Games, which run from August 25 to September 6, 2020.