Have anime elements ever been seen in the Tokyo Olympics?

Anime elements in the Tokyo Olympics are not uncommon. Back in 2016, during the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a brief appearance, dressing up as the gaming character Mario to participate in the show.

It is understood that during the athletes' entry ceremony for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on July 23, the background music that played as the athletes from each country entered turned out to be from the theme music of various famous Japanese video games. And signs with the countries' names were designed in the form of manga dialog boxes.

Tokyo Olympics Opening Fireworks Show Adds Splash of Sound to Event

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, postponed because of the Shinkansen epidemic, finally kicked off, attempting to show hope and resilience in the face of adversity.On the evening of July 23, just 950 VIPs and world leaders watched the opening show. The total number of cases in Japan is now rising, forcing organizers to bar the crowd...?

The somber, socially distanced opening ceremony dances no longer pursued the traditionally dense style of choreography, with directors instead making full use of projection technology to add color and grandeur. A large fireworks display did add a splash of sound to an otherwise awfully quiet event.

Plagued by epidemics, official scandals and a y divided local population, Japan hoped the touching event would help rally positive sentiment about the multi-billion dollar sporting event.