Sport diplomacy as a soft power tool: A case study of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

This research examines Japan's use of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as an instrument to improve its foreign policy and international standing. By investigating the Tokyo 2020/21 Summer Olympic Games as a vehicle for soft power. This thesis has identified the gaps that need to be addressed by investigating sport diplomacy as a vehicle for soft power. The first is to identify what an ideal soft power strategy is, using the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a soft power tool. The second is to argue and discuss how soft power can be theorised as a concept in international politics using sport diplomacy as a soft power tool. This thesis reveals that Japan’s sport diplomacy and soft power strategy stems from an examination of Japan’s government strategy in Prime Minister Abe’s administration. This strategy entails the remilitarisation of Japan’s military and Abe’s role in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games bid.
The strategy under Abe’s administration suggests that the re-interpretation of Japan’s constitution and hosting of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is a smart power strategy to make Japan’s soft power and global visibility more effective in becoming a major international player. Thus, from the research findings and analysis, this research has developed a soft (smart) power framework that the strategy of Japan’s government entails constitutional remilitarisation and the hosting of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as an ideal soft (smart) power strategy for Japan.
Secondly, by investigating the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a soft power tool, this research argued that the reason for the under-theorisation of soft power stems from the lack of engagement with the concept of key international relations theories that are vital in the field to create a clear foundation for the concept of soft power to be applied effectively. This research reveals that it is important to consider the three main international relations theories of realism, liberalism and constructivism in any context where soft power is applied specifically in the context of sport diplomacy.
Finally, this thesis discusses Japan’s sport diplomacy and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a soft power tool. The discussion reveals that Japan’s sport diplomacy has been successful but not so much for its soft power. However, the tourism boom from 2013 until 2018 may have indicated success in Japan’s sport diplomacy and soft power by biding and hosting international sports events such as the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. However, this research shows that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games cannot be considered an effective soft power instrument due to the Covid-19 epidemic. This is because of the absence of sports fans, and sports tourists and because of the lockdown restrictions placed on the hosting of the Games. This narrative sits well with the low public support that indicates that there were echoes of soft disempowerment of soft power in the context of using the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a soft power tool.