- "CHI-BA+KUN" Cheering for Sports Appears -

On March 18, 2019, just 500 days before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Chiba Prefecture held a forum titled “500 More Days to Go! Let’s Cheer for the Games from All Chiba” at AEON MALL Makuhari New City near Makuhari Messe, a venue for some Olympic and Paralympic competitions. The event was aimed at heightening the momentum to support the Games and relevant competitions to be held in Chiba through “All Chiba” efforts. A total of 264 people from companies, schools and others in Chiba Prefecture participated in the forum.

(Images: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/201903254627?p=images)

The forum consisted of two sessions. In the first session held in “AEON Cinema Makuhari New City,” people from athletic associations introduced the competitions to be held in Chiba Prefecture.

Former professional baseball player Tomoya Satozaki, who had taken part in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and 2006 World Baseball Classic, spoke intelligibly about difficult and enjoyable aspects of each competition based on his own experiences as a guest in the session. Many participants were impressed by Mr. Satozaki’s speech and made comments such as “his stories about his own experiences were very interesting.”

Furthermore, "CHI-BA+KUN cheering for sports” (official name: the logo for cheering for sports) was unveiled and commemorative pictures were taken during the first session. The logo was created to further heighten the momentum of support from “All Chiba” for all sports including parasports. As companies and schools in the prefecture are using the logo in their name cards, pamphlets and so on, Chiba Prefecture will boost the momentum of support for sports through “All Chiba” efforts.

In the second session, five organizations--Makuhari Sohgoh High School, Showa Gakuin Junior & Senior High School, Teikyo Heisei University, Japan Post Co., Ltd., and the Chiba Chamber of Commerce and Industry--made presentations on their initiatives to support and promote sports. Participants expressed very positive impressions, with one person saying, “We would like to cooperate as part of our corporate activities” while another commented, “I would like to proactively take part in volunteer activities for the Games.”

Chiba Prefecture’s website (English)

https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/oripara/pre-camps/english/main.html