My Volunteer role and venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics｜Tokyo 2020 Volunteers

• English
• 日本語
• 中文

Konnichiwa! I'm Mami, a trilingual girl in Japanese, English and Chinese.

In response to the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, I rewrote the article today (Friday, March 27th, 2020).

Overall Olympic volunteer flow

First of all, the following is a brief description of the process from last year's group training to today.

• Overall Olympic volunteer flow

• Mami's volunteering situation (bold lines are different from the above)

Contents of the application form

For the purpose of this rewrite, the parts of the volunteer application form (due December 21, 2018) that are considered relevant to the selection process are briefly described below.

1. Volunteer Experience: Experienced  Japanese Teacher in China, No Volunteer Leader Experience
2. Schooling and working: No schooling, with working
3. Japanese and English levels: Japanese, native language, English, advanced
4. Most recent English tests & results: EIKEN 1st grade, TOEIC 970, IELTS 8.0 in speaking
5. Languages and levels other than Japanese and English: Chinese (HSK 6th grade), French
6. Sports experience: table tennis as a hobby, 2-4 years
7. Driving: I have a driver's license.
8. Other (experience & qualifications): interpreting skills
9. Preferred volunteer work: pre-game preparation, Olympic & Paralympic period. Days available: 10 days. Event volunteers are welcome. No volunteer leader desired.
10. Preferred location: Tokyo
11. Preferred Field of Activity: Attendance & Ceremony

Only the necessary parts are supplemented below.

First of all, "6. Experience with sports".

We have been asked about sports experience limited to the Olympic and Paralympic Games that will be held in Tokyo 2020.

My hobbies are yoga and running, but since they are not part of Tokyo 2020 games. Therefore, I wrote  experiences in table tennis from elementary and junior high school.

Next is "8. Other (experience and qualifications you want to use).

Occupation: I am a fledgling in-house interpreter, so I am listed under "interpreting skills".

I would like to say that interpreting is an advanced skill that requires years of study and experience, and should not be done for free.

However, I hope you can understand that the only way to participate in my home country's Olympic Games, which may happen once in a lifetime, was to be a volunteer.

Finally, "9. Preferred Field of Activity".

The first preference was for an attendant who uses a foreign language, and the second preference was for a ceremony where they could learn about Japanese "hospitality".

The Role & Venue of the Paralympics

Let's take a look at the role and venue of the Paralympic Games, as described below.

1. Role: Protocol Team Member
2. Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Gym (Nearest station: Sendagaya Station on the JR Sobu Line)
3. FA: Protocols
4. Activities: 【Attendance】Attendance at various places so that foreign dignitaries can live comfortably in Japan.

First of all, "1. Role: Protocol Team Member".

The English word "protocol" means "diplomatic rituals, etiquette, etiquette, and customs" and can be understood to be almost the same as "4. Activities: [Attendance] Treating foreign dignitaries in various places so that they can live comfortably in Japan.

Next, we will discuss "2. Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Gym（Source：Tokyo2020HP）".

The nearest station, Sendagaya Station on the JR Sobu Line, and within an hour of my house.

Moreover, it is only a minute walk from Tokyo Metropolitan Gym and Sendagaya Station.

And the game that is to be held is ... table tennis.

Suddenly, I remembered what I had submitted when I applied to volunteer.

I answered "table tennis" to the question "Please select a sport that you have been involved in  the past."

On the flip side, I didn't answer anything in the sports experience section.

With 80,000 volunteers, it's probably just a coincidence as it's difficult to decide on a role & venue while taking this answer into account.

※The Paralympic table tennis schedule is below.　※This is the schedule before the Tokyo 2020 Games is postponed.

Is there a possibility of working 10 days in a row...?

As for "FA: Protocol", it means that your role is a protocol among the 52 functional areas defined by Tokyo 2020 as "functions to support the conference", but it is sufficient to understand "1. Role: Protocol Member".

Readers wishing to deepen their understanding of the role of the 52 should refer to the Field Cast Handbook, listed on page 59 below, which they received at the training.

Lastly, I would like to tell you about "4. Activities: [Attendance]: Providing hospitality at various places so that foreign dignitaries can live comfortably in Japan.

As a fledgling Japanese-English interpreter, I was so happy that the first choice was an attendant with a chance to interpret.

Moreover, since table tennis is a strong sport in China, there may be opportunities to use the Chinese language that I have developed during my two years in Beijing.

It's a pity that I can't enter the players' village, but it's a great honor to be in charge of the first choice of attendant for the table tennis game, which is close to my house, indoors, and I understand the rules, and I have a chance to use English and (possibly) Chinese.

Mami's future as a volunteer

The Tokyo 2020  has been postponed on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, and the following information was posted on the Volunteer My Page on Thursday, March 26.

On Tuesday, March 24, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee agreed that the cancellation of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games is not an option, in view of the wishes of athletes, the International Federation (IF) and the National Olympic Committees (NOC).

In addition, in view of the continuing deterioration of the current global situation regarding new coronavirus infection, it was agreed that it was impossible to hold the meeting in July of this year as scheduled, and even more so, impossible to hold it within the year, and that the meeting had to be postponed.

It was also agreed that the IOC, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and other relevant domestic and international organizations will work together to study the specifics of the implementation of the conference by the summer of 2021 at the latest.

https://tokyo2020.org/ja/news/news-20200324-01-ja-x9819

The Committee hopes that all Field Casts who have been selected for roles and venues will be active in the coming year (we will continue to send out offers of roles and venues after today).

Those who wish to participate in the activities do not need to follow any special procedures, but those who have difficulty in doing so are asked to decline as soon as they are aware of their situation.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

In summary, "Volunteers whose roles & venues have been determined can continue & decline next year".

Whether or not I will be able to volunteer next year depends on the following two points.

1. Olympic & Paralympic season
2. Whether to find a nursery school

First of all, "1. Olympic & Paralympic season".

According to the information as of Friday, March 27, 2020, the Tokyo 2020 Games will be held "by the summer of 2021 at the latest.

If it's next spring while I'm on maternity leave, I'm left with the possibility of volunteering.

Next, we'll talk about "2. finding a nursery school".

I'm hoping to enroll in April 2021, but as usual, the nursery school is highly competitive.

It is not always possible to find a nursery school even in the area where I live (metropolitan area outside of Tokyo).

If I am unlucky, I will be able to participate as a volunteer regardless of when Tokyo 2020 will be held.

It is expected that there will be more volunteers who turn down for various reasons, and securing the number of volunteers will be a challenge.

The first-ever postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games was never expected to happen when Japan hosts the event.

I need to thank our organizing committee for future hard working in advance.

Lastly, but not least

First-ever Olympic & Paralympic postponement due to  global COVID-19 infestation.

In 2020, when I am due to give birth to my first child next month, there will be many ups and downs ahead.

Please take care of yourself, readers.

I'd love it if you could follow me on Twitter.

Follow @mami_trilingual

Other articles related to Tokyo 2020 are ...

1. Tokyo Olympics 2020 Volunteer Orientation (May 2019)
2. Tokyo 2020 Field Cast General Training for Volunteers (1)：Group Training (October 2019)