23 Jun 2013, Tokyo, Japan: Thousands of people joined together in Tokyo on Sunday to celebrate Olympic Day and commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on June 23, 1894. Celebrations reached fever pitch through the day, as events were held across the city which illustrated Japan’s unmatched passion for sport and its desire to promote the Olympic Values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.

Thousands of young people joined their families to enjoy a special evening at the Olympic Concert, performed by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. The event brought together music, culture and sport in celebration of the Olympic Movement, with special guests and London 2012 medallists including Tokyo 2020 Bid Ambassadors Saori Yoshida, Hiromi Miyake and Takayuki Suzuki.

The concert has been hosted by the Japanese Olympic Committee annually for the past 16 years, taking place this year at Tokyo International Forum - Tokyo 2020’s planned Weightlifting venue.

In a perfect reflection of the beauty of city-centre Tokyo, the night was lit up by 3,000 candles representing Tokyo 2020’s emblem. The four-day long Candle Night, held for its fifth consecutive year in Tokyo Midtown’s garden, represented Tokyoites’ "light of hope" to host the Games in 2020 and underlined the public’s strong support for the bid. (Source: www.tokyo2020.jp)

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