sports

2020 Olympic volunteers to get ¥1,000 a day for transport expenses

35 Comments

The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to pay volunteers 1,000 yen a day to cover their transport expenses regardless of the venue they are sent to.

The committee will start accepting applications on Sept 26 for 80,000 volunteers who will assist in the management of the Games and 30,000 volunteers who will guide visitors to and around the event venues.

Atsushi Seike, chairman of the volunteer review panel for the organizing committee, said the committee did their best to allocate an adequate amount from their budget.

Volunteers will receive uniforms, meals and insurance but will have to pay for their own accommodation if they do not live in Tokyo.

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35 Comments
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Seems off topic.

theFu, are you certified to teach ?

No. There is no teaching certification for the subject. I do have 25+ yrs experience and have been presenting on the topics for the last 10 yrs internationally at conferences and different User Groups attended by experts. The topic is constantly changing, so there is always more to learn and more to know for everyone in this industry.

What if you teach something wrong ?

Since the subject is technical, either the methods I teach work or do not. Most problems have 50+ different solution techniques, so there isn't only 1 answer. Mentoring is really the best way to learn it. Nobody know the topic completely. That is understood by all.

Do you pay back to the victims ?

Nobody has ever asked for a refund.

Do people ask you for refunds?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

and these volunteer services rob people in making a living. Some people make a living by doing these kind of work. A volunteer come and feels good about it, while the other bloke watch and have his/her livelihood being taken away. Lets be fair. You want people to work, pay up.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Its called volunteering.  You shouldn't expect to get anything from it in the first place.  You know the great thing about all this?  No one is forcing you to do it.  Don't like it?  Than don't do it.  Why am I planning on volunteering for this event?  One, it's the bloody Olympics, why not?  Two, it's helping your fellow man.  You can either sit at home and watch it on TV and say, "huh, that looks cool", or actually be there, and experience something that for many would be once in a lifetime.  And I can make a 2 hour round trip from home to Tokyo for 1000.  I get to do that for free now?  Awesome!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Netgrump

... :)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Little late but, if folks are interested.... The Tokyo volunteer website, in English!

https://tokyo2020.org/en/special/volunteer/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Another reason I hate the Olympics: “officials” will get millions standing on the back of slave labor while declaring the Olympic ideals of peace through sport. What hypocrisy. At least FIFA and the NFL aren’t phony.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Billions to be made and typical Japanese kechi mindset.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@ maybeperhapsyes

Wow. 

If that’s true.... just wow!

i never even thought of that.

Check, double check 'if that's true' ..... :)

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

therougou, I understand there are millions in Tokyo, but we must share the opportunity, as we must share the resources. The Olympics is not about money only, it is about communication and relationship, it is about education and competition. To limit the opportunity to only certain group of people is to limit the opportunity to increase efficiency. Japan may gain in saving money, but will lose in many other things, the privilege and generosity.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Discriminatory policy and wrong bigly. Why no accomodations for people who live outside of Tokyo ? How many boys and girls want to share the Olympic game experience ? Is it a good time to let others to know more about Tokyo ? What if Koreans and Chinese want to be helpful ? The Tokyo govt is small minded, the Abe govt is a miser.

That ship sailed when they refused to hold events outside of Tokyo. They want people to work for free, so they aren't going to pay accommodation when there are millions of people already there. The real problem is how hard these "volunteers" are going to be worked.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Not about the Olympics but volunteering in general. When I volunteer I never expect to get any monitary value in return and I think that’s how most volunteers I have worked with in many organizations. So when things like meals are included it is a nice gesture and transportation reimbursement is rare in many volunteer organizations. I actually worry more about the unsavory folks this might attract and lots of room for abuse of the system.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

theFu, are you certified to teach ? What if you teach something wrong ? Do you pay back to the victims ?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Whether to volunteer at a "for-profit" set of events or not is up to the individual.

My personal "line" for volunteering is if anyone is being paid, then everyone should be paid.

I volunteer about 5-6 hrs almost every week teaching a topic to anyone who physically shows up.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Discriminatory policy and wrong bigly. Why no accomodations for people who live outside of Tokyo ? How many boys and girls want to share the Olympic game experience ? Is it a good time to let others to know more about Tokyo ? What if Koreans and Chinese want to be helpful ? The Tokyo govt is small minded, the Abe govt is a miser.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@Vince Black - How about an English lesson allowance until then? They're gonna need it

They are gonna need Chinese and Korean long before they need English

For the Olympics?!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Didn't do any volunteer work, but running marathons you see loads of volunteers at every event plus many more people lining the streets rooting for the runners. Because they know that runners sacrifice a lot of time training and traveling to the venue and running very hard to the point of painful., using just one off-day doesn't feel that big in comparison And while part of them are organized from those "neighborhood-groups", many are also volunteering freely, just because they want to be a part of it, or they want to make the runners feel welcome...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That's not enough, also it limits the volunteer base within a certain price point per trip. Just give them a pass, and have some corporate entity sponsor it. Suddenly claiming austerity on a multi billion dollar project is stupid

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Vince Black - How about an English lesson allowance until then? They're gonna need it

They are gonna need Chinese and Korean long before they need English

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

How about an English lesson allowance until then? They're gonna need it

1 ( +2 / -1 )

For young uns I guess it's something to write on your cv, like an unpaid internship. It is morally questionable to not pay people, I do not like it one bit, but it's the way of the world now. If you want to blame someone or something, blame neo-liberalism.

It would be nice if the IOC were paying this 1000 yen, but it'll be the Japanese end.

Regarding the issue of volunteering, it is an everyday thing in Japan. I volunteer all the time for my kids school, their sports clubs, local events, and our community. I must do brush cutting at least eight times a year, often with a 5am or 6am start. Such activities are not regarded as "volunteering" in katakana, but Japanese society would soon collapse without these "youji" and "touban".

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Volunteers by their very nature are doing this without any expectation of remuneration. The aggressive, negative comments are in all likelihood from non-volunteer types.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Meanwhile the Lords of the Rings pocket billions from TV and corporate sponsorship, advertising, ticketing, and other revenue streams. Generosity was never their strong point.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

It worked for the London games back in 2012. A lot of the volunteers were either students or pensioners.

My friend who was between jobs at the time, volunteered. Can't remember if she got an allowance or not but she said the atmosphere was fantastic and really rewarding. I attended a few events and the volunteers were really great, very helpful.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Disillusioned.

Wow.

If that’s true.... just wow!

i never even thought of that.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

If they buy a day pass for the subways, they'll save a bit of money from the 1000. However, I am unfamiliar with the Tokyo transport system and how to travel between venues , but suspect one travel pass doesn't cover all lines?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Sorry, the tax-dodge - question about volunteer experience in Japan should have been to Dissillusioned, not SmithinJapan. my bad!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Giving everyone a flat rate will simplify the operation (and they will each sign a receipt for the total based on days worked - not a tax dodge. Smith, have you never done volunteer work here in Japan?)

Tokyo has huge numbers of students are retirees who will be lining up in droves for this opportunity, just as always happens for major sporting events and just as happened with the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

What's o-mo-te-na-shi without the FREE help of volunteers?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

smithinjapanToday 04:31 pm JSTSorry, doesn't help. Still not going to get enough volunteers so long as you expect them to do everything and pay for it, too.

well then it really wouldn't be "volunteering" then would it. the spirit of volunteering isn't that you get anything of value in return. it's being a part of special once-in-a-lifetime event. i think the free food and (partial) reimbursement of travel is fair enough. all you people deriding it are just being cynical (as usual).

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Sorry, doesn't help. Still not going to get enough volunteers so long as you expect them to do everything and pay for it, too.

It worked for the London games back in 2012. A lot of the volunteers were either students or pensioners.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Sorry, doesn't help. Still not going to get enough volunteers so long as you expect them to do everything and pay for it, too.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Of course, this is just a tax dodge for the organisers. They can claim up to ¥100,000 per person per month without receipts. It makes one wonder just how much money the organisers will pocket for enlisting 80,000 volunteers.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

I mean hey, it's something. A lot more than what I was expecting.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

GW

Good idea. They could get an "Olympic train/bus pass" that states their home location and the venue they work.

It would also be a good keepsake momento.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

DONT BE CHEAP! Give them a damned rail/bus pass of some sort DOH!

12 ( +16 / -4 )

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