By Hiroki Noda,
Coordinated arson attacks on France's train network sent a shock wave through the Japanese Olympic team, and representatives of the country's delegation said Friday they will urge every member to take extra caution throughout the games.
"We're aware that anything can happen when we take part in a big event such as the Olympics," Japan's Chef de Mission Mitsugi Ogata told a news conference at the Main Press Center in Paris hours before the opening ceremony.
"We'll keep close contact with those competing away from Paris as well. I believe the whole team will be able to stay safe by being alert."
Former judoka Kosei Inoue, one of Ogata's deputies, reiterated at the press conference that the country has set a target of winning a total of 55 medals, 20 of them gold, but most questions from reporters were about the arson incident's possible impact on the athletes.
"No one on the team has been affected by the incident yet," Ogata said.
"We'll tell athletes and coaches in an online meeting shortly after this to be extra careful...We want the Olympics and Paralympics to be a symbol of peace. I hope the Paris Olympics will be an event that contributes to peace."
The opening ceremony is set to feature a boat parade involving athletes along the Seine River, the first time in the history of the Summer Olympics that the opening ceremony will be held outside a stadium.
Extra anti-terrorism measures have gone into effect as more than 300,000 people, including world leaders, are expected to watch the ceremony from the riverbanks.
As for competitions, Inoue said, "In the first half of the games, we have judo, skateboarding, volleyball, basketball and football. We hope to see athletes give Japan a much-needed boost in those sports."
"I want people to recognize the value and greatness of sports through watching Olympians."
As a result of the attacks, the women's football team had to travel back to the athletes village by bus instead of by high-speed rail following their Thursday game in Nantes, while swimmer Satomi Suzuki said she had been thinking about the possible dangers.
"My worries are about my family coming here to cheer me on," she said after training at Paris La Defense Arena.
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