A university students’ caravan travelling 6,000 kilometres across Japan, is promoting Japan’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The students are on board to lend their voices and support to the growing wave of Olympic enthusiasm that is sweeping the nation, said a Japan 2016 media release.
As of April 2008, 150 students and representatives of 96 universities have taken part in the ongoing caravan, which was launched December 1, 2007 and has covered 6,089 kilometres in 21 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. Participants have visited sports clubs, professional club teams, local institutions, universities and other venues along the way to share their enthusiasm for the bid.
The caravan is to visit Japan’s other 26 prefectures before ending in Tokyo June 23.
Dr. Ichiro Kono, Chairman and CEO of Tokyo 2016 said, “we appreciate the energy and passion of these students who are part of the generation that soon will provide us with our new leaders. This is the very group to whom we want to pass on the Olympic legacy and value, because in doing so we will pass it on to future generations as well. Such efforts by young people herald a new golden era of sporting, social, economic and environmental benefits for Tokyo, Japan and the entire Olympic Movement”.
