Triple World champion Akane Yamaguchi’s smiling visage grinning out of a giant Window Glass at Katsuyama Post Office.

A record-breaking 67m38 freestanding billboard (approx size of 20 floors of building) at JR Hokkaido Asahikawa-Yojo Station of women’s javelin legend Haruka Kitaguchi whose national record stood at that mark but who promptly broke this record at the “Ultimate World Athletics” in Budapest at 68m92.

Story continues below.
Subscribe to see fewer ads.

All coinciding with the lead up to their events at the Asian Games and prominently displayed in towns and villages and cities where they grew up. Japan has unveiled a sports blitz ahead of the Asian Games splashing their athletes in public squares and front office buildings in order to ring in the Aichi Nagoya Games.

These “Personalized Ads” are displayed at alma maters and local communities of Japan’s National Team Athletes by the official live broadcaster for the event starting September 16.

The ads came up overnight, displayed in 20 locations with ties to the athletes, such as areas surrounding their schools, nearest train stations, and routes to school. TBS reported, “Featuring copy that speaks directly to “you”—such as “To everyone at Matsudo Kokusai High School” or “Do you go to Aomori Yamada?”—the ads are designed to catch the eye of current students and locals familiar with the area. By sending cheers to the national team from all corners of the country, the campaign aims to spark community-wide excitement for the Asian Games.”

Athletes’ specific sports, personal stories, and school cultures are getting electronic scrolls and bold copy typeface in public community centres. Kitaguchi, who is a legend of women’s javelin has an ad placed at a spot specifically. It says, “I could hurl a javelin all the way from the station to here.”

Story continues below this ad

For Yamaguchi who grew up as a prodigy and barely left her small town in Fukui Prefecture, the ad copy says, “No. 1 in Japan at age 7; No. 1 in the world at age 20.” For upcoming shuttling star, Miyazaki, her billboard asks, “Do you go to Yanai Shoko?” Women’s doubles star Yuki Fukushima finds pride of place in a poster at JR East Aomori Station (Aomori Prefecture), given she went to Aomori Yamada High School.

Some of the Top Japanese track stars, like 400m runner Yuki Joseph Nakajima finds a display near Shiinamachi Station, Seibu Ikebukuro Line (Tokyo) given he studied at the local Josai University High School. “To the Josai University High School track team: Are you pushing yourselves to the absolute limit?” Nakajima is seen asking.

While Tokyo’s night skyline has looming billboards at Shinjuku and Shibuya, the games broadcasters have taken the idea of athletes’ glamour into gritty local corners from where they rose.

The Asian Games are only riffing off the World Athletics championships where 110m hurdler Rachid Muratake became a sensation in Japan as his photos, stats and geeky deets after going under 13 seconds at 12.92 were splashed across trains and stations as he became a real life anime protagonist in real-time. This time he is devoted a freestanding billboard at the intersection along Yashibira Cemetery (Chiba Prefecture) given he went to Chiba Prefectural Matsudo Kokusai High School.

Story continues below this ad

Rikako Ikee the Butterfly swimmer, has advertisements across bus stops in Shukutoku Sugamo High School (Tokyo), as the stroke is analysed minutely.

“Support originating from hometowns and local communities across the country serves as a new form of encouragement for Japan’s national team athletes. We hope you will spot these “personalized ads” in your town, share them on social media, and join us in building excitement for the Asian Games—hosted in Japan for the first time in 32 years,” TBS reported.

TT sensation Tomokazu Harimoto who went to Nihon Uni School, is seen at the ping pong table on art displays around Hiyoshi Station, Tokyu Toyoko Line (Kanagawa Prefecture).

Though the Display dates have been announced, the Japanese have issues strict instructions of, “Please refrain from contacting stations, stores, or other facilities regarding this matter. The country hosting it’s first since 1994 Hiroshima though, is bigging it up as “Asia’s premier sports festival held every four years to determine the continent’s best among a population of 4.8 billion. It features a larger number of sports and events than the Olympics—comprising 43 sports and 469 events (*)—with approximately 45 countries and regions scheduled to participate.