About the Host Town Initiative

The Host Town Initiative is a government program made to promote human, economic and cultural exchanges between regional public organizations all over Japan and the participating countries/regions, going towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Through this program, Japan hopes to become a sports-focused country, promote globalism, invigorate local areas, and promote tourism.

*You can see all registered host town relationships and additional information at the following link:

• Cabinet Secretariat Website（外部リンク）

Gifu City has a host town relationship withSlovakia (table tennis, karate, Paralympic table tennis, and boccia), Canada(track and field, Paralympic track and field *jointly registered with Gifu Prefecture), Cote d’Ivoire (taekwondo, track and field *jointly registered with Seki City).

WE ARE ALL, ONE WORLD - Light up HOST TOWN Project　*Ended

This specialized website was created to post information about host town relationships all throughout Japan. You can view which local organizations are involved in the relationships as well as various different plans created by the Secretariat of the Headquarters for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Cabinet Secretariat).

Gifu City Host Town News

We periodically publish news detailing the main projects and events that we are working on.

*Japanese versions only

• 2019 Summer edition （PDF 452.8KB）
• 2019 Fall edition （PDF 825.7KB）
• 2020 Winter edition （PDF 836.4KB）
• 2020 Early summer edition （PDF 1.3MB）
• 2021 New Year edition （PDF 1.6MB）
• 2021 Pre-games edition （PDF 1.3MB）
• 2021 Fall edition （PDF 1.3MB）

Host Town Support Schools

Support schools were chosen to give students a chance to interact with a diverse range of cultures when training camps are held. The 11 schools below are those that were chosen on March 2019.

List of Host Town Support Schools

• Slovakia
  • Seizan Junior High School (table tennis)
  • Gifu Chuo Junior High School (karate)
  • Shokaku Elementary School (Paralympic table tennis)
  • Uzura Elementary School and Soden Elementary School (boccia)
• Canada
  • Akanabe Elementary School and Miwa Junior High School (track and field)
  • Nagara-nishi Elementary School, Shima Junior High School, Gifu Special Needs School (Paralympic track and field)
• Cote d’Ivoire
  • Nagara Junior High School (taekwondo)

List of Major Host Town Support School Activities

• Making and displaying support message flags
• Exchange with athletes and staff (school visits, students watching athletes train)
• Athletes and coaches giving advice to students about their sport
• Participating in citizen exchanges (events, etc.)

Creating Support Message Flags

Each host town support school created a support message flag for their team, with each students’ work and passion to support their team evident in each.

Slovakia

Top left: Seizan Junior High School (table tennis)
Bottom left: Gifu Chuo Junior High School (karate)
Center: Shokaku Elementary School (Paralympic table tennis)
Top right: Uzura Elementary School (boccia)
Bottom right: Soden Elementary School (boccia)

Canada

Top left: Akanabe Elementary School (track and field)
Bottom left: Miwa Junior High School (track and field)
Top center: Nagara-nishi Elementary School (Paralympic track and field)
Bottom center: Gifu Special Needs School (Paralympic track and field)
Top and bottom right: Shima Junior High School (Paralympic track and field)

Cote d’Ivoire

Nagara Junior High School (taekwondo)

Displaying Support Message Flags at the 63rd Gifu Nobunaga Festival

Elementary and junior high school students walked in the parade for the 63rd Oda Nobunaga Festival carrying their support message flags for their teams starting from the north entrance of JR Gifu Station and ending at the main branch of Gifu City Hall.
It was a beautiful sunny day, and they were able to display their flags to the many people that attended the festival.

Host Town Country Postage Stamp Frames

In order to promote support for its host town partners, Gifu City worked together with Japan Post Co., Ltd., an official Olympic and Paralympic partner, to create host town postage stamp frames for each partner country.

Frame designs

Release dates

• Japan Post Offices: April 3 (Fri), 2020
• Japan Post Office Net Shop: April 5 (Sun), 2020

Amount to be sold

500 sheets for each partner country

Participating post offices

• Slovakia and Canada stamps
  70 post offices from Gifu City, Motosu City, Mizuho City, and Kitagata Town.
• Cote d’Ivoire stamps
  132 post offices from Gifu City, Motosu City, Mizuho City, Kitagata Town, Seki City, Yamagata City, Mino City, Kakamigahara City, and Gujo City.

*Excluding some non-participating post offices
*All three stamps can also be found at the Nagoya Central, Tsu Central, Shizuoka Central, Tokyo Central, and Otemachi post offices.

Sheet contents

Five stamps (84 yen each) per sheet

Size

B5 size (around 257mm long x 182mm wide)

Price

920 yen/sheet (tax included)
*If you make a purchase on the Post Office Net Shop, you will need to pay an additional fee for shipping.