The Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 plays a crucial role in the reopening of J-Village

In 1997, Fukushima Prefecture opened the J-Village complex: the Japan's first national football training centre. After its opening, not only Japan's national football team but many other professional and amateur teams had taken advantage of the facility which had boasted 11 football fields with natural grass. However, in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the facility was forced to cease operations, and had been used as a support base for the disaster of Fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant until recently.

Seven years from then, the J-Village has undergone a remarkable recovery and resumed its operation as a football training facility since July 2018.
we speak to two people who have special affinity to the region and the facility to find out more.. The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) interviewed two persons who have a special connection with J-Village to learn how sport can give people the power and courage to move forward. Tokyo 2020 believes that bringing part of the Games to the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami will help contribute to the restoration efforts.

In our second interview features Mr Masato Yamauchi, director for management of J-Village. Mr Yamauchi has worked at J-Village since 1999, soon after the facility opened its doors, and after J-Village became a crisis response centre for the nuclear power plant accident, he devoted his efforts to restoring the facility and reopening the training centre. On the occasion of the reopening of J-Village on 28 July 2018, we asked Mr Yamauchi to tell us about the impact of sports on the disaster-affected areas and his expectations toward the Tokyo 2020 Games.

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Related interview
An interview with Asako Takakura, head coach of Nadeshiko Japan Thought for her native Fukushima and the revival of the J-Village national football centre

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