Wednesday, May 6, 2015

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics - Timing could maybe have been a little better....

Sitting in a dark, hot and humid office, in the swelter of a Japanese summer, I once asked an engineering friend of mine if he could design something that would cool my room and brighten my day. He suggested an air conditioner with a lamp on top. Technically correct but not exactly what I was looking for. And the problem remains today after all these years. If only there was a device that could take in the heat and convert it to cubes of warmth, that could be stored until winter, we'd have a much more eco-friendly world. This must be one for Elon Musk.

However, back in Japan... the first signs of summer are peeking over the battlements. The temperature will rise to the mid-thirties, though with the added humidity it will feel like the earth has drifted worryingly closer to the sun. Thankfully, as tourists pour into the city, department stores offer oases of relief but as you dash from one to the other don't be surprised to find your clothes turning a darker shade of wet. And if you're air-con is suffering at home, time to call the repairman before he becomes the most popular guy on the block. Summer is going to be hot. And this brings us to the Olympics. 

In 1964, Tokyo hosted Japan's coming out party with a highly successful event in October of that year. The weather during Autumn is some of the most enjoyable there is. Warm but not hot. Dry but still comfortable. On the whole, very pleasant t-shirt time. And for 2020 the dates have been announced as 24 July until 9 August, the hottest, most humid time of the year. So bring your ice buckets and shorts to the party. And the week following the Closing Ceremony? Well that's Obon, the peak travel time of the year in Japan. Narita is already a nightmare of over capacity then even in a non-Olympic year. Whoever made that decision must be glad Qatar has made such a mess of 2022. I'd like to suggest they're "taking the heat" but even I think that's a pun too far...


The only thing to do in the heat!


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