Tokyo 2020 on Monday (21 December) announced the resignation of Akio Toyoda as Vice President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee.

He will remain in his position as Chair of the Japan Business Federation’s (Keidanren) Committee on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in which capacity he will lead the efforts of Japan’s business community to provide further support to the successful delivery of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tokyo 2020 Councillors will meet in the near future to approve the appointment of a new Executive Board member who will succeed Toyoda. Kazuhiro Tsuga, President of Panasonic Corporation, is expected to assume the position. This will be formally announced immediately after the decision is made.

Explaining his decision, Toyoda said: “I feel it is vitally important that the Organising Committee and Japan’s business community further strengthen their collaborations prior to the Rio 2016 Games. I have therefore decided to reorganise my roles and further intensify my efforts to encourage the business community to actively support the delivery of the 2020 Games.

“I am looking forward to forging even closer ties between the Organising Committee and Japan’s business community, and I am determined to work even harder to ensure the successful delivery of the 2020 Games.”

The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee would like to extend its sincere gratitude to Mr. Toyoda for his dedication and tireless efforts as Vice President, and looks forward very much to his continued support towards the successful delivery of the Tokyo 2020 Games.