Japanese athletes promote Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Tokyo

Former Japanese national athletes Kasumi Ishikawa, Natsumi Tsunoda, and Ryosuke Irie participated in a promotional event in Shibuya, Tokyo, to build excitement for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The event, organized by TBS, featured the athletes attempting unique “support-style part-time jobs,” such as acting as “living advertisements” and attempting to time a stopwatch to match specific athletic records.

During the media briefing, the athletes discussed the significance of the games, which are being held in Japan for the first time in 32 years. Kasumi Ishikawa, a former Olympic medalist in table tennis, noted that the competition will be intense, stating that “just like the Olympics, China is putting a lot of effort into this.” She emphasized that facing top Chinese players will allow Japanese athletes to measure their strength ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The three athletes also shared medal predictions for the Japanese delegation. Tsunoda predicted 220 medals, Irie predicted 230, and Ishikawa predicted 250. The upcoming games will feature 43 sports and 469 events, with participants from approximately 45 countries and regions.