The Japanese government has announced that the period for accepting IR certification applications will run from 4 January 2021 to 30 July 2021.
The schedule takes into consideration the time it will take for prefectures and cities to apply as per the government’s ordinance. A maximum of three locations nationwide will be approved.
It had previously been suggested that the government’s certification would begin in 2020, however confirmation that applications won’t be accepted until 2021 could bring Tokyo back into the race following the conclusion of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Public comment regarding this schedule will start from 18 December. Based on the results, the government will make a final cabinet decision around January next year, including on the standards for certification, which have already been announced.
The locations to have already confirmed their intention to bid for an IR are Yokohama city, Osaka prefecture/city, Wakayama prefecture and Nagasaki prefecture. Those who are still considering an application include Hokkaido, Tokyo, Chiba city and Nagoya city.
