Travelling to Toyko for the Olympics – what to expect
It is the beginning of the year and usually the time to make plans. As a beach volleyball enthusiast like us, perhaps you have also been considering travelling to Tokyo this summer to breathe some Olympic air and follow the Olympic beach volleyball tournament in Japan’s capital. We collected some of the basics for you and a few things to keep in mind when planning your Tokyo 2020 trip.
Timing: July 25 to August 8 in Shiokaze Park
The beach volleyball tournament will be played between July 25 and August 8. The preliminary rounds including the “lucky loser” matches will take place until August 1. Afterwards the elimination rounds start with the round of 16 on August 2 and 3. The quarterfinals are scheduled for August 4/5 and the semifinals for August 6. Women’s medal matches will be played on August 7 and the men’s medals will be awarded on August 8. Venue for all matches is Shiokaze Park in the Tokyo Bay area with stunning views of Tokyo’s iconic Rainbow Bridge.
Tickets: that’s where the trouble begins
Several sales periods have already taken place on the official Tokyo 2020 website. But these tickets have been reserved to Japan residents only. Overseas residents need to purchase tickets from their country’s designated Authorised Ticket Resellers (ATR). You can find the ATR for your country here.
Unfortunately, many of these tickets designated to each country are already sold out. We checked for the United States & Germany and found limited availability for the Olympic beach volleyball event. But it can pay off to check back on a regular basis.
And there is still hope. From the spring of 2020, overseas residents will also be able to purchase tickets from the official ticket website that has been limited to Japan residents so far. As soon as this resale of remaining tickets starts, you can try to get tickets here.
Accomodation: that’s where the trouble continues
Even without guaranteed tickets, you still might want to go to the Olympics. There will be several open air areas with public live viewings of Olympic events. But where to stay in Tokyo?
The truth is that due to demand (and a stronger yen), prices for accomodation have climbed to painful levels. Here is what you can expect:
For a single room in a standard hotel, rates start from US$ 200 per night and can quickly go up to US$ 500 and more. Also keep in mind that many hotels in Japan charge per guest, not per room.
An alternative could be the sharing platform Airbnb. But even there you can expect to pay more than US$200 for a private room and US$ 100 for a bed in a shared room.
Japan is famous for so-called sleeping capsules, one-person cells with some privacy but limited comfort. They usually sell for around US$ 20 per night. During the Olympics, you will have a hard time to find one for less than US$ 100.
Sleeping capsules in a Japanese capsule hotel
We don’t want to discourage you from your Olympic trip, just be realistic with your expectations. We will keep our eyes open for updates and will keep you posted.
