Recently launched as part of the Embassy’s "Doors to Switzerland - Japan 2020" event and communication campaign, the website of the "Grand Tour of Switzerland in Japan" consists of an online map that allows users to browse through places in Japan with a special connection to Switzerland. Available in both Japanese and English, the platform includes over 70 illustrated stories classified in categories such as "City Partnerships", "Historical Figures & Locations", "Train & Transportation", or "Clubs & Associations" - among others.
Designed by &Form, a creative/communication design consultancy based in Tokyo, the Grand Tour of Switzerland in Japan is optimized for both desktop and mobile devices. Information on the Grand Tour, as well as exclusive contests, are also featured on the Instagram account @doorstoswitzerland and on the Facebook page of the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan.
In parallel to the online activation of this new platform, the Embassy and its partners have already started a "physical" Grand Tour of Switzerland in Japan by organizing a series of promotional "stations" at some of the locations on the map. Like the Olympic torch traveling through the country before reaching the stadium for the Opening Ceremony, these stations constitute a "Swiss road" to the Games and to the "House of Switzerland Japan 2020", which will open in Shibuya for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.