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 "Lets Celebrate Together"
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With such an Olympic slogan to remember, Nagano is the perfect place to meet on the eve of our Annual Meeting. The on-site visit that the representatives of the City of Nagano are currently preparing will deliver all promises and will give the Union Members the opportunity to capture the essence of the lively legacy of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games.
As good news never comes on its own, we are very pleased to announce that the City of Nagano is joining the Union and will be an Active Member of our community. Welcome to Nagano!
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 On the spot
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Interview with Hisao Katō
Mayor of Nagano City
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Nagano joined the World Union of Olympic Cities this year. We are delighted to welcome you to the Olympic City family. What do you expect from being a Member of the Union?
We are very glad to be joining the Union this year.
We expect that by joining the Union, we will be able to more efficiently collect information about activity in other Olympic Cities, and effectively grapple with the succession of Olympic legacy. We also expect that the Union will be able to approach the IOC regarding succession of legacy, with the hope that they will allow governmental organizations to use the emblem of the Olympic Games, permit holding whole-year events, etc.
Nagano will welcome the representatives of Olympic Cities for an on-site visit just before the Union’s Annual Meeting in Tokyo. What will you highlight during this visit?
The Winter Olympic Games in Nagano were held 21 years ago in 1998, but we would like to show that many facilities which were built for the Olympic Games are still cherished as a legacy to the Games and are utilized effectively on a daily basis.
Most of Nagano 1998 venues are in use. Was sustainability a criterion at the moment of the candidature?
When the Nagano Olympics were held, almost all of the facilities were newly constructed. Because we wanted those facilities to be used even after the Games, we constructed those facilities in a very well-planned way to make them sustainable in the long-term.
Therefore, almost all of the facilities were intentionally left partially unfinished and some temporary facilities were constructed to make up for the deficit. They were completed after the Olympic and Paralympic Games were held.
Nagano celebrated the 20th anniversary of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games.
How did you conceive the event?
In order to implement the event, we received permission from the International Olympic Committee, thanks to the help of the Japan Olympic Committee and the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The 20th Anniversary event was implemented by a committee which consisted of not only Nagano City, but also other local governments. Many people participated and looked back on the Nagano Olympics, and we strongly felt that the Olympic legacy had been successfully sustained through to the present. This event was a great opportunity to pass our Olympic movement to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Some of the anniversary celebrations were planned at the same time as the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. How did you combine your celebrations with the 2018 Games and how have you used them as a link between the past, the present and the future?
Just before the PyeongChang Games, we held an anniversary ceremony and and a concert as the main event of the 20th Anniversary celebration. To maintain the Olympic movement for the future, we established the following concept: “From Nagano to PyeongChang, and Tokyo.” Furthermore, we focused on the fact that the Nagano Olympic Games have inspired some talented children who watched it as spectators to aim at becoming Olympians. They actually made their dreams come true, and succeeded in entering the PyeongChang Olympic Games.
How does Nagano promote and activate its Olympic legacy on a daily basis?
We effectively utilize the facilities by holding various kinds of competitions and events every year. We also hold an annual event to promote the Olympic Movement and build cooperation with the JOC. Nagano City Hall is currently implementing Olympic projects in many municipal schools and working on joint ventures with the IOC to enlighten future generations. We hope these projects lead to a successfully sustained Olympic legacy.
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 Picked up from the Legacy Inspiration Box
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Amsterdam - In de Klas
TeamNL In de Klas Olympic Values Education is an online learning initiative that educates Dutch youth on the value of sport and more specifically, on the Olympic Values of friendship, excellence and respect.
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The programme is run by the Dutch NOC and targets primary and secondary school pupils across the Netherlands. It aims to inspire Dutch youth to get involved in sport by showcasing its social, physical and ethical benefits to all participants.
The NOC operates an online platform which contains a lot of fun and lively sport-related content. Access to the platform is provided to teachers from partner schools around the country. TeamNL In de Klas provides pupils with attractive and entertaining material that is carefully framed within the Olympic Values. This method of combining accessible educational material with relevant entertaining content has been highly successful in keeping participants interested and engaged. Organisers refer to this as the “Edutainment” approach and this has become a key part of the programme's strategy for success.
To learn more about the Amsterdam - In de Klas, click here!
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 Stay Tuned with the Union
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 On-Going Projects
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As we have never been closer to the Summit, we strongly encourage you to register through our online platform. Union's Members are kindly invited to note that rooms at the conference's official hotel will be guaranteed until the 10th of October only.
Have a glance at the programme of the on-site visit in Nagano, followed by the Olympic Cities' Annual Meeting and the Smart Cities & Sport Summit
 WWW - Where Were We?
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LAUSANNE The President of the World Union of Olympic Cities and Mayor of Lausanne, together with the President of the IOC and the authorities of the Canton de Vaud, attended a ceremony to raise the flag of the 2020 Youth Olympic Games. The Olympic cauldron was lit. With more than 3000 school students present, the youth was clearly at the heart of the celebration!
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 On the Cities & Sport Planet
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BEIJING On October 17-20, the Chinese capital city will host the 4th edition of the World Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo, jointly hosted by Beijing Olympic City Development Association and International Data Group. To know more about this professional and authoritative international exposition focusing specifically on winter sports, click here.
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 Keep an Eye on Olympic Cities
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 What’s going on in your cities?
SEOUL The World Union of Olympic Cities is really pleased to welcome Seoul as a new Member in 2019. At a time when the Summit is to be held for the first time in Asia, there is no doubt that the relationship between the Union and the Eastern continent are stronger than ever! A newsletter will be dedicated to Seoul after the 2019 Summit. In the meantime, let's click on the Seoul Member official webpage.
ATHENS The Lausanne 2020 Olympic Torch was lit in Athens on September, 17, following a ritual ignition using rays of sunlight. On September 21, the Olympic Torch Tour started in Lausanne. It will visit the 26 Swiss cantons and stop in iconic places. After visiting all Olympic sites around the Olympic Capital, including the French Jura, the Torch will be back in Lausanne in January 2020.
LAUSANNE The Vortex building - heart of the Olympic Village - is presented by one of the fastest athletes of Switzerland and Ambassador of the YOG, Sarah Atcho. To know more about this stunning circular sustainable building that will become student housing, click here.
TOKYO The Host City of the next Summer Games celebrated on August 25 "One Year Until Paralympics". 25,000 spectators attended the event in Yoyogi Park, venue of the 1964 Paralympics with several sport demonstrations by leading Paralympians. Tokyo will make history in 2020, becoming the first city to host two Paralympic Summer Games.
TOKYO A new Olympic Museum was inaugurated in Tokyo on September 14. It is located close to the new Olympic Stadium, creating an obvious bridge between past, present and even future as it includes the latest digital technologies to virtually experience sports.
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