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TOKYO 2020 Venue Plan


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Tokyo could feasibly (with the halting of the Olympic stadium tear down) host 2016. The point is though that the International Federations pretty much demand huge capacity venues. Yes Tokyo has 30 million people - however that does not mean they need a 15,000 seat hockey venue or a 15,000 seat swimming venue. The Japanese are very good at some sports and have multi-purpose venues all over the country. Not necesarily three dozen in the one city. The Japanese are many things - fiscally irresponsible is not one of them.

Fiscally responsible?- Japan has the highest Government debt to GDP ratio in the world ....just above Zimbawbe and Greece!

And this is before the Fukashima rebuild and Olympic spending.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_public_debt

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Olympics: IOC being flexible with changes to venue plans

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- With a proposal to revise the venue plans for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics already in the works, the International Olympic Committee is being flexible about the basic "compact Games" concept that won the Japanese capital the bid in the first place.

"Flexibility," along with "sustainability," another corporate buzzword, appears to be the direction the IOC is headed under President Thomas Bach, who on Tuesday revealed the 40 proposals that form the Olympic Agenda 2020 -- its strategic roadmap for the future that will be discussed and voted on at the IOC Session in Monaco in December.

Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, IOC Coordination Commission Chairman John Coates said reducing the burden on taxpayers over ballooning construction costs will outweigh leaving behind a legacy in 2020. He also gave Tokyo a thumbs-up on its progress so far.

Coates, who is visiting Tokyo for the second time to monitor the progress of city's preparation for the Games, said the IOC is backing the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee's proposals to change the location of venues, in particular moving the basketball tournament to Saitama Super Arena, some 30 kilometers outside Tokyo.

"It was a very positive experience when we went to the Saitama Super Arena. We've been in discussion about that as an alternative for at least the finals of the men's and women's basketball for some time now," said Coates, adding that the venue being used for the 2006 world basketball championships is another strong point.

Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, president of the local organizing committee, proposed to the IOC venue changes not only for basketball but also for badminton, triathlon, sailing among others.

Tokyo's original bid proposal called for 28 of the 31 facilities, including the main stadium, to be located within an 8-km radius of the Olympic Village. This, however, has become a non-starter due to the rising costs.

According to a report released Wednesday after discussions between the Tokyo metropolitan government and the IOC regarding the proposed revisions, costs could be reduced to about 260 billion yen ($2.2 billion) from an earlier estimate of 460 billion yen ($3.9 billion) which factored in rising costs of building materials.

Tokyo's original estimate from its candidature file totaled 153.8 billion yen ($1.3 billion) for the construction of 10 new facilities.

"The important thing for us is that since we commenced these discussions, (the head) of 2020 have come out and specifically said that we should make excellent use of existing facilities, and that as far as I'm concerned overrides that 8-km philosophy" Coates said.

Coates even said the IOC suggested to Tokyo 2020 that the basketball preliminaries could also be held outside of Tokyo in cities like Osaka.

"It's early days yet, but we have suggested to the organizing committee that for the preliminaries just as for football, they may care to look at other venues like Osaka. This would give us an opportunity to take the Games to other parts of Japan."

"It would increase capacity and revenue in terms of ticket sales. It's something still to be developed, still to be approved by the organizing committee."

Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe also confirmed that three of the 10 venues proposed for construction -- including the stadiums for basketball, badminton and sailing in Saitama Prefecture -- will be scrapped.

"Doing this in different areas is an idea to be considered," Masuzoe said after attending a special metropolitan assembly committee meeting the same day.

"By conducting a revision we will be able to host the best ever Games, enabling us to change to a plan that leaves an Olympic legacy of value for the nation's people," said Masuzoe, who suggested in June that he was considering changes to the proposal.

Tokyo is considering moving badminton to Musashino-no-Mori Comprehensive Sports Facility in the west of the city, and renovating a training course at Wakasu Kaihin Seaside Park in the Koto Ward, for sailing.

Another part of the 2020 Olympic Agenda focuses on allowing host organizing committees to suggest additional sports. Japan is pushing for the joint return of baseball and softball in 2020.

"We believe there is great merit in having the flexibility to allow host organizing committees to propose one, two, maybe three events," Coates said.

"It's an opportunity to recognize sports that still fit the criteria of being international sports, an opportunity to support the sports that the hosts support. But I won't speculate on which sports and which events may be proposed and approved by the IOC executive board."

Based on the 2020 Olympic Agenda, if approval is given in December for host cities to propose additions to the 28 official Olympic sports, Mori said the organizing committee would jump at the chance to add baseball and softball.

"For example by adding baseball and softball, it would be a great weapon (for Japan) for getting more medals. This would also be a favorable wind for the fans," Mori said.

Coates and Masuzoe met earlier the same morning to discuss revisions to Tokyo's plans.

November 20, 2014

News source:Mainichi Japan

Link: http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20141120p2g00m0sp005000c.html

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  • 3 weeks later...

IOC allows changes to 2018 and 2020 Games

South Korean and Japanese Olympic organisers will be able to make changes to their venue plans for the 2018 and 2020 Games to cut costs.

Proposed International Olympic Committee reforms to be voted on this week will allow 2018 and 2020 Games hosts Pyeongchang and Tokyo to change the venues and sports for their events, IOC president Thomas Bach said Saturday.

The 60-year-old German also said the reforms will allow "new regions" of the world to bid for the Olympic Games.

The IOC is already having talks with South Korean organisers of the 2018 Winter Olympics and the Japanese hosts of the 2020 Summer Games on changes that will be possible if the reforms pass on Monday and Tuesday, Bach said.

"We are having discussions with both organising committees about the follow-up on the potential opportunities which the 2020 agenda will offer to them," Bach told a press conference at the end of a two-day IOC Executive Board meeting.

"There will be project reviews in both organising cities in January and February to follow up on this and to see what the 2020 agenda means for their organisations."

A general IOC assembly will on Monday and Tuesday vote on 40 proposals aiming to reform the IOC and make Olympic Games cheaper to stage and include more sports while capping athlete numbers at 10,500.

Pyeongchang won the right to host the 2018 edition with a landslide win over Munich and Annecy in the vote in 2011 but is suffering financial troubles and wants the South Korean government to pay more toward the cost of a new main stadium.

Tokyo -- pipping Istanbul and Madrid for the right to host the 2020 Games -- meanwhile wants to stage more events away from the Japanese capital and also bring baseball and softball back into the Olympics.

Making the Olympics cheaper is a centre piece of Bach's Agenda 2020 proposals which he has been working on since being elected to succeed Jacques Rogge in Buenos Aires in September 2013.

He said there could be venue changes for Pyeongchang and Tokyo if it leads to "more sustainability" and "less expense".

Bach said the IOC wanted to "give a lot more flexibility to organising committees by, for example, letting certain events be staged outside the host city."

The IOC has sought reforms after several European cities backed out of bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics because of the cost.

Only Beijing, bidding to become the first to host both Summer (2008) and Winter Games, and Almaty in Kazakhstan remain in the race.

Bach said the IOC also wanted to widen the pool of Games hosts.

"One of the reasons for these recommendations is to allow new regions of the world to present their candidacy and so promote the Olympic spirit in the countries of your region," he said in answer to a Tunisian journalist.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/12/07/ioc-allows-changes-2018-and-2020-games

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fukushima wants to host Olympic events in 2020

TOKYO - Fukushima is keen to show it has fully recovered from the 2011 nuclear disaster by hosting some events for the 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The governor of the northeastern prefecture held talks with his Tokyo counterpart on Tuesday to discuss the matter.

"We need to set a goal so that we can show how much Fukushima has recovered," Masao Uchibori was quoted as saying by Kyodo News on Tuesday.

Uchibori did not specify which events Fukushima wanted to stage but soccer matches appeared the most likely, with games normally held around the host country and starting before the opening ceremony.

Masuzoe welcomed the interest from Fukushima, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

"The Olympics is meant to show to the world the Tohoku region's reconstruction. We want to cooperate as much as possible," he said.

Reuters

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/12/16/fukushima-wants-to-host-olympic-events-in-2020

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  • 2 months later...

Tokyo 2020 Olympics have 3 venue changes approved by IOC

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics got the go-ahead Friday from the IOC executive board to change three venue locations, with more changes expected in the next few months as the Japanese try to cuts costs.

Toshiro Muto, chief executive officer, said that basketball, equestrian and canoe-slalom would be moved. He said the executive board approved plans for 17 venues to stay the same. Muto said about 10 remained, and said some might be changed.

"For these three changes we already had a consensus from the international federations," Muto said.

Basketball goes to the Saitama Super Arena north of central Tokyo. It was the site of the 2006 world basketball championship.

Equestrian moves to Baji Park, a venue from the city's 1964 Olympics. Canoe-slalom goes from Kasai Rinkai Park to a spot outside the park.

"We are working on some others, and there's potential for some other changes all with the view to sustainability and addressing some cost savings," said John Coates, head of the IOC inspection team for Tokyo.

He listed several sports that could see venue changes, which the IOC could approve in June. Among them: taekwondo, badminton, sailing, velodrome cycling, and fencing.

Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games Executive Director, said the changes so far would save Tokyo about $1 billion.

"It's a very substantial figure, and it will continue to grow," Dubi said.

The IOC awarded Tokyo the games partly because it was compact with 85 percent of the venues within an 8-kilometer (5-mile) radius.

Coates said the changes lowered that number to 66 percent. But he said Tokyo was now using 50 percent existing venues, up from 33 percent.

He said a decision on new sports for the Tokyo Games would not be made until 2016. Baseball and softball are widely expected to be added. Other candidates include karate and squash.

Tokyo has been quick to line up domestic sponsors, including camera maker Canon and the brewer Ashai. It has almost moved rapidly on the IOC's Olympic Agenda 2020, which is designed to cut the cost of the games and give organizers flexibility.

"The IOC applauded the Tokyo presentation," Coates said. "They are very, very pleased with the support already; the commercial support, the corporate structure. It was a very good presentation."

AP

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2015/02/27/tokyo-2020-olympics-have-3-venue-changes-approved-by-ioc/24130067/

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Tokyo 2020 Olympics have 3 venue changes approved by IOC

Equestrian moves to Baji Park, a venue from the city's 1964 Olympics.

AP

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2015/02/27/tokyo-2020-olympics-have-3-venue-changes-approved-by-ioc/24130067/

LIES!! Equestrian 1964 was held in Karuizawa where: Curling in 1998 was also held and where the current Emperior Akihito met his future commoner bride, now Empress Michiko.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equestrian_at_the_1964_Summer_Olympics

So whomever wrote that story or the Tokyo Organizing Committee release did NOT check their facts! They think nobody's watching them???

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LIES!! Equestrian 1964 was held in Karuizawa where: Curling in 1998 was also held and where the current Emperior Akihito met his future commoner bride, now Empress Michiko.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equestrian_at_the_1964_Summer_Olympics

So whomever wrote that story or the Tokyo Organizing Committee release did NOT check their facts! They think nobody's watching them???

Someone asked this in a Tokyo Skyscraper City thread, and I responded to it there. Some events were held in Karuizawa, some in Baji Park.

The equestrian events were held in several places. Some in Nagano, and some in Setagaya-ku, where the Baji Koen park is located.

poyUkrw.png

This is from the Official Games Report from Tokyo 1964

http://library.la84.org/6oic/Officia...r1964v1pt1.pdf

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Someone asked this in a Tokyo Skyscraper City thread, and I responded to it there. Some events were held in Karuizawa, some in Baji Park.

The equestrian events were held in several places. Some in Nagano, and some in Setagaya-ku, where the Baji Koen park is located.

poyUkrw.png

This is from the Official Games Report from Tokyo 1964

http://library.la84.org/6oic/Officia...r1964v1pt1.pdf

Thanks for clarifying that, Phandrosis. So they split up the horses and their riders into 3 diff venues. Why didn't the report mention that -- it would've avoided the confusion.

Edited by baron-pierreIV
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Exclusive: Plans for new Tokyo 2020 sailing marina scrapped

Plans to build a new Olympic sailing marina next to Tokyo Gate Bridge in Tokyo Bay have been abandoned, as part of ongoing changes to the original Tokyo 2020 blueprint that are intended to shave costs by well over $1 billion (£658 million/€919 million).

The actual location that will be used remains uncertain, with a number of venues - both near and further away from Tokyo - under consideration.

According to a senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) source, the original Wakasu Olympic Marina, priced in the bid book at $105 million (£69 million/€97 million), would in fact have entailed construction of a breakwater costing more than $400 million (£263 million/€368 million).

This requirement could have been removed by switching the venue inland to an existing sailing centre not far from Wakasu.

However, this gave rise to another issue, since live coverage of sailing entails the use of helicopters which would require clearance from authorities at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.

It is still not clear if permission can be obtained.

The IOC source also confirmed that original plans for a temporary velodrome, priced in the bid book, along with a BMX course, at $74 million (£49 million/€68 million), would be changed, with possible alternative options including adaptation of a keirin venue.

Water polo may also be moved.

It looks, meanwhile, as though badminton may well go to Musashino, although this is understood to be subject to final approval by the Badminton World Federation.

These new details of revised plans for Tokyo 2020 emerged as the IOC spelt out how the estimated $1 billion (£658 million/€919 million) of savings already identified would be achieved.

The vast majority is derived from scrapping the Youth Plaza project that was to have housed both badminton and basketball.

While the Tokyo 2020 bid book put the overall cost including overlay at $420 million (£277 million/€386 million), the IOC source said this had since been revised up to $880 million (£579 million/€809 million).

As previously announced, basketball is to be moved outside Tokyo to Saitama’s 37,000 Super Arena, the venue for the 2006 men’s World Championship.

The search is understood to be on for a second basketball venue close to Saitama.

If badminton does go to Musashino, the IOC source indicated, costs incurred for all three venues would be fit-out costs only.

The other approximately $100 million (£66 million/€92 million) of net savings already secured comes from the switch of some equestrian events from Dream Island to Baji Park, a venue from the city’s 1964 Olympics, the last time the Japanese capital hosted the Games, which is located about 50 minutes from central Tokyo.

The IOC source explained that Baji Park belongs to the Japan Equestrian Sports Association which is a private entity.

This body is said to be willing to pay the cost of any renovation work required.

The $1 billion (£658 million/€919 million) does not, however, include any contribution from the rowing/canoeing venue at Sea Forest, which has been left in situ after substantial revisions to earlier plans.

The IOC source explained how the original bid-book cost of $78 million (£51 million/€71 million), plus $23 million (£15 million/€21 million) for overlay was threatening to spiral above $1 billion (£658 million/€919 million) because of demolition work and the relocation of bridges that was said to be required.

Extensive design optimisation work is said to have cut this price tag to $490 million (£323 million/€451 million).

Of this, the budget for the two sports is said to be less than $100 million (£66 million/€92 million), with municipal authorities contributing the remaining $400 million (£263 million/€368 million).

http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1026968/exclusive-plans-for-temporary-tokyo-2020-velodrome-and-new-sailing-marina-scrapped

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It probably makes sense financially, but if they harped on about compact venue planning during the bid which may have contributed a few votes eventually, this is also not exactly a good example of solid, honest campaigning as surely they knew about quite a few of the obstacles that have caused venue changes in the last one and a half years.

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It probably makes sense financially, but if they harped on about compact venue planning during the bid which may have contributed a few votes eventually, this is also not exactly a good example of solid, honest campaigning as surely they knew about quite a few of the obstacles that have caused venue changes in the last one and a half years.

Exactly. Perhaps the IOC should consider charging fines to the winning cities for such drastic changes.

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Exactly. Perhaps the IOC should consider charging fines to the winning cities for such drastic changes.

People complain endlessly that the IOC is out of touch with reality, so do you honestly think that a system of fines, for I don't know, logically think about the cost and taxpayer situation, is the right thing to do? Moreover, this fits in with agenda 2020.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Tokyo 2020 to add 2 venues for soccer

Jiji-Japan News

The organizing committee for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will increase the number of venues for the soccer tournament by two, chairman Yoshiro Mori said Friday.

Mori, speaking at public function in Tokyo, said that Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Kashima Stadium in Ibaraki Prefecture and a new stadium under construction in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, are candidates to join the six current venues.

“We will choose two from these,” Mori said.

The six stadiums already listed to host Olympic soccer matches are the new National Stadium (still to be constructed), Tokyo’s Ajinomoto Stadium, Sapporo Dome, Miyagi Stadium, Saitama Stadium and Yokohama’s Nissan Stadium.

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002154089

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