WITH this year's Olympics over and done with, many people are already turning their minds to Tokyo 2020. Especially with Prime Minister Abe’s kooky, and very Japanese appearance at the Rio closing ceremony.

If you missed it, he pretty much pretended to be Super Mario (who was invited by Nintendo — a Japanese company)

One of the main topics of conversation surrounding the forthcoming Olympics is the influx of foreign visitors that the event will bring. This has drawn many residents to take up English classes in preparation. Nearly every new student I meet at work says they want to learn English so they can volunteer for the Olympics.

This could mean we will see a big change in Japan, as currently, only a very small percentage of Japanese speak English.

Japanese people are very proud of their country and heritage and are anxious to show their beloved land off in the best way possible during the Games. The country has been working hard already in its preparations, and has been planning to boost its hiring in the run up to the big event. The government is hoping to hire not just event staff, but also people to deal with possible cyber terrorism. They will also be increasing the number of teachers employed in the Tokyo area to deal with the new influx of children in the countries capitol.

But, it hasn’t all been positive. The official logo was dropped after it was met with accusations of plagiarism, and they cancelled their original plans for an overly expensive centrepiece in the city. Many people have criticised the government's planning progress. But, a budget crisis when it comes to the Olympics is nothing new.

Every single Olympic games between 1960-2012 has run into budget problems and overspending.

Despite all these problems, all of Japan seems to be buzzing with excitement already. This is their chance to show off the new Japan — an international hub, and not as traditional as it once was!