【Tokyo Olympics, Coverage from Hokkaido Venue】
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics from July 23, 2021 onward.
In Hokkaido, Sapporo will host the marathon, race walking, and football events.
These articles bring you the feelings and reactions of Hokkaido residents.
Special feature
【Tokyo Olympics, Coverage from Hokkaido Venue ②】At Opening Ceremony, choreography by Otaru-raised Hirahara and Olympic logo from Engaru wood

The Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony on July 23 featured the “Olympic Rings” wooden sculpture crafted in ring shapes designed to represent the Olympic logo. This logo was made with wood from trees grown in the town of Engaru in the Eastern Hokkaido Okhotsk region. The wood used was forest thinning timber from trees that have grown from seeds given to Japan as a gift from countries that participated in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The choreography for Opening Ceremony scenes, including this scene and the scene representing the feelings inside the hearts of athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic, was designed by Central Hokkaido Otaru-raised dancer and choreographer Shintaro Hirahara.
The logo made its entrance right before the athletes entered the stadium amidst the singing of a song to remind everyone of the continuance of the 1964 Olympics legacy. The five wooden rings were four meters in diameter. Guided by a plethora of lamps, they were situated on a large dolly and carried into the stadium. The rings transformed into the Olympic logo in the center of the stadium, upon which fireworks in five colors shot forth, bringing color to the venue.
During his junior high school and high school years in Otaru, Shintaro Hirahara learned ballet at a local ballet academy called Naoe Ballet, after which he was active as a contemporary dance specialist. Currently, he runs his own dance company called “Organ Works” (Tokyo).
