Tokyo, July 13, 2006 -- Tokyo Broadcasting System, host broadcaster of the FIVB World Championships Japan 2006, is stepping up its promotional activities with a 66-day campaign in Tokyo Dome City.
From July 16 to September 19, visitors to the popular amusement park next to the Dome will be able to join in the festivities surrounding the World Championships.
There will be a marquee selling a wide range of World Championships official merchandise and an opportunity to have a photograph taken alongside Japanese players -- the life-size cardboard cut-out versions, that is, as the real things will be involved in World League and World Grand Prix engagements.
Another feature is a 3-metre high volleyball on which fans can write a message of support to the teams ahead of the World Championships.
The mini-"volley village" inside the amusement park will be part of a larger festival for TBS's popular "Honey Coming" programme, and will be open from 4pm to 10pm for the 66 days. TBS officials are sure it will increase awareness of the World Championships as some 500,000 tickets for the 208 matches go on sale to the general public from July 23.
At another of the 10 host cities, Osaka, a similar promotional activity will run from July 29 to August 6 near the historic Osaka Castle.
Here, a small court will also be set up for members of the public to show off their volleyball skills or to try out the game for the first time, and August 3 has been pencilled in for a visit by the head coach of the women's team, Shoichi Yanagimoto, and possibly captain Yoshie Takeshita.
The nine-day Osaka festival is being organised by Mainichi Broadcasting System, which covers 22 million viewers in the Kansai region, including Osaka and Kobe. Through the Japan News Network, MBS also serves a nationwide audience and will be broadcasting the World Championships from this region.
