Online ticket sales for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will start on Thursday.
Starting at 10 a.m., applications for ticket purchases will be accepted through a lottery at an official website set up by the organizing committee.
Applicants must register for a "TOKYO 2020 ID" on the official website to make ticket purchases.
Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on May 28. Nearly 3 million people had registered as of Wednesday.
Each applicant can apply for up to 30 tickets for their first choices, and 30 more for their second choices. Each applicant will be able to get up to 30 tickets in total.
Later this year, tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis on the site. Early next year, remaining tickets will be sold through official outlets to be set up in Tokyo.
The opening sale by lottery is expected to involve the largest number of tickets.
Many applicants are expected to rush to access the website just after the application period starts, and just before it ends. The Games' organizing committee is advising applicants against joining the rush, saying that the timing of applications will not affect the outcome of the lottery.
NHK
