The key phrase is “Tokyo 2020 School Festival, Created by and for Students”

Tokyo 2020 School Festival, an event sponsored by the Tokyo Olympic-Paralympic Organizing Committee and the 2017 University Partnership took place on Saturday, June 24, in the Palette Zone (second floor) of Meiji Gakuin’s Shirokane campus.

This event was a commemoration of Olympic Day (June 23) and the signing on that day of the Tokyo 2020 University Partnership Agreement.

Meiji Gakuin and twelve other universities joined with Tokyo Olympic-Paralympic Organising Committee to arrange for artistic competitions in which student groups from each university performed. These types of competitions were once part of the modern Olympics.

It was an exciting day, with students from each university putting on thrilling performances.

In addition, the students who belong to the Meiji Gakuin Olympic-Paralympic Project Executive Committee participated as support staff, working hard to set up the venue, support and encourage everyone, and serve as sources of information.

Over 1,000 spectators came to see the event in which young people demonstrated their ability to promote the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

When interviewed on NHK News’ “Good Morning, Japan” at 6:00AM on Thursday, June 29, Kiwa Nakajima, a Master’s course student in Psychology, was the representative of Meiji Gakuin students. “Students have a greater ability to publicize a message than I could have imagined,” she commented. “What I took away from the event was the desire to want to do even more as a student.”

The Tokyo 2020 public account features a video showing highlights of the events that day. Be sure to take a look at it.

Members of the Meiji Gakuin Olympic-Paralympic Executive Committee provided operational support.

At the Tokyo 2020 booth, student staff members from the university took commemorative photos of performers and spectators, using special photo frames created by the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee.

The event attracted so many spectators that it was standing room only.

Yoshihiko Nunomura, Senior Executive Board Member of the Tokyo Olympic-Paralympic Organizing Committee and Vice-President Mitsuru Watanabe of Meiji Gakuin University served on the judging committee.

The prize for best performance was awarded to Tokai University’s Challenge Center DAN DAN DANCE & SPORTS Project.

When it was all over, all the performers, the student staff members, staff members from the Organizing Committee, and the members of the Judging Committee had a group photo taken to commemorate the event.