The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee will implement a special collaboration project, "Cheers for Tokyo 2020 from Space!", with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and the popular manga "Space Brothers" as part of the "ONE TEAM PROJECT" launched in August 2017.
This project aims to build excitement for the Tokyo Games, featuring participation from leading Japanese cultural figures and artists. To date, the special website has featured dialogues and interviews with celebrities.
( https://participation.tokyo2020.jp/jp/oneteam/ )

©JAXA/NASA
©Tokyo 2020
In the first installment of this collaboration project, JAXA astronaut Nobuhiro Kanai, who has been staying on the ISS (International Space Station) since last December, will attempt to flip through the "Tokyo 2020 Support Flipbook Manga" (254 pages total) created by "Space Brothers" author Koyama Kazuya, to see if it can be read in space.
The flipbook depicts a scene where Mutta, the protagonist of Space Brothers, performs a "lunar somersault," a gymnastics move.
Author Koyama commented, "I enjoyed thinking about how to connect the Space Brothers characters with Olympic elements. I'm delighted that the work will be taken to space and used by Astronaut Kanai."

International Space Station
©JAXA/NASA

Loading flipbook animation onto the supply ship
©JAXA/Orbital ATK
The challenge results will be streamed on March 20 via the Organizing Committee's official website and JAXA's YouTube channel. The site has already released videos featuring boxer Ryota Murata, competitive swimmer Ryosuke Irie, and talent Tomoe Shinohara predicting the challenge outcome.
Collaboration Project Site:
https://participation.tokyo2020.jp/jp/oneteam/07_01.html