Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games begin two-year countdown

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02:55

This week the people of Tokyo started the two-year countdown for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

This summer, they're working up a sweat to ready the facilities and regulations necessary for smooth operations during what they hope will be one cool international event.

The festivities kicked off on Sunday, with Tokyo and the world getting a first 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 similar to "so mighty" in English.

Tokyo released 731 paper lanterns to mark the number of days remaining until the 2020 Olympic Games. /CGTN Photo by Steve Ross

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 for the games by lighting 731 commemorative paper lanterns.

Governor Koike held a press conference prior to Tuesday's event, during which she stressed the 2020 Olympic Games' key theme of sustainability. Koike told assembled reporters, "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."

Media seating area on the stand of the new National Olympic Stadium under construction in Tokyo, Japan. /CGTN Photo by Steve Ross

With 104 weeks left 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.

As proof of that progress, this week, the public had its first opportunity to get a gander at the stand of the new National Olympic Stadium still under construction.

Throughout Tokyo, construction is going at "full bore," from the new National Olympic Stadium to major shopping areas. And more Olympic preparations are on the way, some of which 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.

White-hot summer in Tokyo; the city is facing a major heatwave. /CGTN Photo by Steve Ross

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.

Taking the season into account, Japan's Olympic planners have made cooling a design element of the new National Olympic Stadium.

Keiji Kato of the Japan Sport Council described measures taken for the new stadium: "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."