Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Countdown: The heat is on with two years to go

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03:10

This week, Tokyo counted down to the two-year mark leading up to the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. This summer, the city is working up a sweat to get everything ready for what they hope will be a 'cool' international event. CGTN's Steve Ross has more from Tokyo.

On Sunday, Japan kicked-off a series of events marking "2-years to go" to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. First, Tokyo and the world got a look at the Games' mascots, the blue Miraitowa -- combining the Japanese words 'mirai', meaning future, and 'towa', meaning eternity – and the pink "Someity," named after a cherry blossom variety, and sounding like "so mighty" in English.

Then, on Tuesday night, the capital city's massive Skytree tower was colorfully illuminated as Tokyo Governor Yuriko KOIKE led assembled politicians, sports officials, guest athletes, volunteers, and school children in marking 731 days to go by lighting 731 commemorative paper lanterns.

Governor KOIKE held a press conference prior to the event, during which she stressed the 2020 Olympic Games' key theme of sustainability.

YURIKO KOIKE TOKYO GOVERNOR "We aim to leverage the Games as an opportunity to showcase our model of a sustainable city to the world and our goal of becoming a global environmental leader. As one example, the Olympic village will be powered by hydrogen energy following the Games."

With 104 weeks remaining before the 2020 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials say newly constructed venues are now 20 to 40 percent completed – just about on schedule. And as proof of that progress, this week, the public got its first opportunity to get a gander at spectator seating in the rising new National Olympic Stadium.

STEVE ROSS TOKYO "Throughout Tokyo, construction is going at "full bore," from the new National Olympic Stadium, to shopping areas like this one in Shibuya. And, more Olympic preparations are on the way."

Some of those preparations are legislative. Governor KOIKE announced that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics may be the world's first 'tobacco-free' Games. Last month, Tokyo passed a tough anti-smoking law that will ban smoking in most of the city's bars and restaurants in the months before the Games even begin.

The 2020 Summer Olympic Games will be held at this same time of year, and in Japan's current heatwave, dozens of citizens have already perished from heatstroke, prompting the government to issue an extreme heat warning. Japan's Olympic planners have made cooling a design element of the new National Olympic Stadium.

KEIJI KATO JAPAN SPORT COUNCIL "In terms of tackling heat, this is considered an urgent issue, so with this stadium, we will be making use of natural wind, fans and mist to cool it down."

Two years to go to the 2020 Summer Olympics, and the people of Tokyo know that, indeed, the heat is on. Steve Ross, CGTN, Tokyo.