Japanese TV and film director Tsutsumi Yukihiko, who serves as the general director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, expressed satisfaction with the opening ceremony performance.

Marking its 20th edition this year, the Asian Games kicked off its 16-day run as the flame was lit at the opening ceremony held yesterday afternoon (September 19) at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

At the opening ceremony of the Asian Games being held in Japan for the first time in 32 years, General Director Tsutsumi unraveled themes through performances combining the culture and traditions of the Aichi-Nagoya region with the future, alongside the concept of a unified Asia.

In an official interview with the organizing committee for the Games, General Director Tsutsumi evaluated, "As a native of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, I considered it most important to complete the opening ceremony through the strength of the people living here. Truly many local residents supported this event, including those who went on stage to dance and those who guided athletes during each country's delegation march. We created the opening ceremony performance together with the local people."

General Director Tsutsumi explained the meaning of the opening ceremony performance by stating, "Above all, I structured the performance so that the message 'We welcome you' is clearly conveyed, followed by allowing everyone to visually enjoy the opening ceremony performance. In the second half, I wanted to express our traditions through new dances and show the birth and future of Aichi's regional industries. At the end, it contained the meaning of everyone uniting as one Asia and looking toward tomorrow."

The Aichi-Nagoya region, where the headquarters and main plants of Toyota Motor Corporation—the world's largest finished car manufacturer—as well as Japanese aerospace industry parts companies are densely clustered, is considered the overwhelming heartland of Japanese manufacturing.

General Director Tsutsumi proposed a heart shape as the visual symbol for this Games and mentioned that he even held a school sports day at this stadium when he was in middle school, adding, "Based on a fast sense of speed, many events requiring knowledge and judgment are emerging, and I believe sports will develop in this direction moving forward. I hope this Games will serve as a foundation and starting point for future sports." (Photo: Yonhap News)