The demand for tickets to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo is high, as more than eight million residents in Japan have registered to buy tickets, the organizing committee revealed this week.
In order to buy tickets, Japanese residents must register for a “Tokyo 2020 ID.” Already, 50,000 people have completed the process since the summary of ticket prices were released in 2018. During the first phase of ticketing, which took place this past May, 3.22 million tickets were sold, followed by an additional 350,000 sold in August when a window was open to those who were unable to secure tickets during the first round.
Japan residents were able to participate in the second phase on November 13, and the results of the lottery will be announced on December 18. The second phase of the Paralympics lottery will begin in January.
After the lottery, tickets will become available on a first-come, first-served basis in the spring, allowing fans to access tickets on the official ticketing website or in-person at ticketing booths set up around Tokyo. The organizing committee expects sales to surpass 9 million, including overseas tickets.
The 56th Olympic Games will take place from July 24 to August 9, 2020. The National Stadium in Tokyo will host the opening and closing ceremonies, along with athletic competitions, while the prestigious Nippon Budokan venue will host judo. Equestrian events will take place at Baji Koen Park with handball at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium. tickets range from the cheapest at ¥2,500 ($22 USD) to the most expensive ticket at ¥130,000 ($1,183 USD).
The Paralympic Games will follow from August 25 to September 6. A ticket to the Paralympics can cost you at most 150,000 yen ($1,400) for the opening ceremony or 7,000 yen ($65) for the finals of swimming and wheelchair basketball. However, prices start at 500 yen ($4) for five sports including goalball, a game for vision-impaired athletics.
Earlier this year, a bill was passed that bans ticket scalping ahead of the 2020 games. The bill prohibits the resale of tickets for more than its original amount with a fine of up to 1 million yen or potential jail time for violators.
