Students from 12 universities gathered in Tokyo on Saturday to compete in dance, music and sports performances at an event to promote the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Around 1,000 performers and spectators joined the "Tokyo 2020 Student Cultural Festival" at Meiji Gakuin University, hosted by the games organizing committee in cooperation with universities. The event was held to celebrate Olympic Day on June 23, as the International Olympic Committee was established on that day in 1894.

"Through the event, we want to build momentum and promote Olympic education toward the 2020 Tokyo Games," said organizing committee spokeswoman Kaori Fujiwara, who added it's hoped to hold more such events nationwide ahead of the 2020 Games.

Around 300 students of 16 teams from 12 universities, including Keio University, Toyo University and Tokyo Kasei University, participated, and competed in such events as basketball and Japanese drumming.

"I felt very proud of joining in the event and if possible, I want to try my best to help inspire athletes and people in Japan at the time of the Tokyo Games," said Taiki Kasuga, 20, a third-grade student of Waseda University's School of Culture, Media and Society and member of the university's male cheerleading group Shockers.

Students from Tokai University won the best performance award with their traditional Japanese dance-looking performance.

"I hope today's excitement will boost momentum for the 2020 Games," said Yukihiko Nunomura, vice director general of the organizing committee.

At the event, the organizing committee also set up booths to explain its preparatory work for the Games.