Actor Nomura Mansai (2nd R) speaks at a press briefing in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 23, 2020. The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee announced on Wednesday that Hiroshi Sasaki has replaced actor Nomura Mansai to become the chief executive creative director of next year's opening and closing ceremonies. Sasaki will be responsible for revising the program for next year's opening and closing ceremonies for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The organizers said that the ceremonies will be "in tune with the situation next summer," and will "likely take a simpler and more restrained approach designed to reflect the overall simplification of the Games and the potential need to still consider COVID-19 countermeasures." (Tokyo 2020 organizing committee/Handout via Xinhua)
