Fields of dreams

Although there will be fewer people in the stands, Tokyo 2020 still boasts an impressive portfolio of venues. Michael Pavitt talks us through where the action will happen.

HERITAGE ZONE

The new National Stadium will be the focal point of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the venue set to host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, athletics and football finals. It lies on the same site as the former 48,000-seat stadium which was built in 1958 and used for the Tokyo 1964 Olympics. The venue was demolished in 2015 to allow construction of the new venue to start.

Formerly known as the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, the venue is one of three located in the Heritage Zone which were originally constructed for the 1964 Games. Basketball, swimming and diving competitions were held back then, but

Japan National Stadium

There has been no shortage of talking points about the new stadium, most notably its design and cost. A design by the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid for a futuristic 80,000-seat arena was originally given the green light in 2012 before being scrapped three years later. Then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe pulled the plug after costs reportedly doubled from the original estimate of ¥252 billion. A cheaper design by Kengo Kuma was selected in its place with the Japanese architect fending off claims his idea was too similar to what had come before. The delay to the process prevented the stadium from being used as a venue at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Construction work was completed in November 2019, with the bill coming in at ¥157 billion. The 68,000-seat stadium features a plantcovered façade, designed to “maintain harmony” with the natural landscape of the neighbouring Meiji Jingu Gaien area. The eaves of the roof are made of wood from the country's 47 prefectures. Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission chair John Coates described the stadium as “simply magnificent” and Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt was among several high-profile athletes to feature at an inauguration event in December 2019. The stadium hosted a poignant moment when Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee, a leukaemia survivor, held the Olympic Flame alone at an event held exactly a year before the start of the postponed Olympics. The six-time Asian Games champion delivered a message of hope after a year of uncertainty. After the Games, the stadium will be used for sporting and cultural events. It is located close to the Japan Olympic Museum, where Olympic cauldrons from Tokyo 1964, Sapporo 1972 and Nagano 1998 are on display.

Yoyogi National Stadium

organisers will make use of two arenas to host handball this year. Badminton will make its Paralympic debut here and wheelchair rugby will also take place. The Yoyogi National Stadium is famed for its suspension roof design, and has undergone a ¥20.5 billion refurbishment.

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The Kokugikan Arena is one of the iconic venues of the Games, due to its status as the spiritual home of Japan’s national sport sumo wrestling. The third version of the hall was officially opened in 1985, but the original dates back to 1909. Designed in a bowl shape to allow fans to easily view bouts from wherever they are seated, the venue also features a sumo museum. At Tokyo 2020, sumo will make way for boxing. International Olympic Committee sport director Kit McConnell said he hoped boxers would embrace the history of the venue. "The venue is an absolutely incredible opportunity, particularly for boxing," he said. "You can feel that this venue is more than just a sports arena, but is a celebration of sport and Japanese culture. "We feel it is a very special venue and we believe boxers will too at Tokyo 2020."

Ryōgoku Kokugikan

Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium

The Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium is another of the legacy venues from Tokyo 1964, where it held gymnastics and water polo. Table tennis will be held here during Tokyo 2020, following in the footsteps of a series of other major events. This includes NBA basketball matches, the Figure Skating World Championships, the World Gymnastics Championships and concerts.

Nostalgia might be felt the most at Nippon Budokan, as judo returns to the venue where it made its Olympic bow in 1964. Karate will follow in judo’s footsteps as the additional sport makes its debut at the 14,471-capacity arena. The Budokan has become synonymous with marital arts, with its name translating to “Martial Arts Hall”. Karate will hope to avoid comparisons with Swedish band ABBA, whose final touring performance was here.

Weightlifting and powerlifting competitions will take place at the Tokyo International Forum. Opened in 1996, the exhibition centre comprises of eight main halls of various sizes, exhibition spaces and other facilities. The structure features swooping curves of steel and glass, with an exterior design resembling an elongated boat.

Nippon Budokan

Tokyo International Forum

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TOKYO BAY ZONE

Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre

The Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre is one of eight new venues built for Tokyo 2020, with the facility costing around ¥7 billion. Constructed on land adjoining Kasai Rinkai Park, the course is the first man-made venue for canoe slalom in Japan. Unsurprisingly, organisers have billed the centre as a potential “game-changer” for the sport in the host nation. The construction process was overseen by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and the venue was completed in May 2019. The course received positive feedback from the International Canoe Federation and athletes after a test event later that year. The course is 200 metres long and has a height differential of 4.5m from start to finish. The centre also features a warm-up area and finishing pool. Organisers say the centre will be used for water sports and leisure activities after Tokyo 2020.

The Oi Hockey Stadium is a permanent new venue, with International Hockey Federation chief executive Thierry Weil describing it as a “remarkable facility” which will boost the development of hockey in Japan. It features two pitches which will have capacities of 10,000 and 5,000 people during the Games. The pitches are environmentally friendly thanks to sustainable hockey turf. Tokyo 2020 said the venue will be used for both hockey and other sports after the Games.

Oi Hockey Stadium

The Yumenoshima Park Archery Field was the first venue planned as a direct result of the Games to be completed. It is located adjacent to the Tokyo Sports Culture Center and close to the Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome. The start of archery competitions will be held here, before the sport moves to a nearby temporary venue for the match play stages.

Tokyo Aquatics Centre

One of the landmark venues for the Games, the Tokyo Aquatics Centre was the last of the eight permanent new facilities to be completed. The 15,000-capacity venue was finished in February 2020, with an inauguration event originally due the following month. This was eventually held in October following the postponement of the Games, while the Japanese swimming trials were held earlier this year. The Aquatics Centre cost a reported ¥56.7 billion and boasts a 50m swimming pool and diving pool. A moveable wall and adapting depth options are included as part of the design, which allows for the main pool to be converted into two 25m pools. Artistic swimming, diving and swimming will all take place at the facility. The venue was thrown into doubt in 2016 when Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike suggested aquatics could be held at another facility amid concerns over rising costs. A reduction in capacity from 20,000 to 15,000 led to Koike agreeing to press ahead with the venue in Tatsumi-no-Mori Seaside Park, however. Domestic and international competitions are expected to be held after the Games, while the facility will be open to the public. Water polo competition will be held at the Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Centre, a venue built in 1990.

Yumenoshima Park

The venue will become the Yumenoshima Park athletics field after the Games. Features include an artificial hill, which archers will face when competing. They will stand on a heat shielded pavement before returning under 130m of long roof shade, which has been designed to look like a bow. The venue is expected to be used by the public and host major competitions. The lawn will be used as a relaxing space as part of the park.

Ariake Arena

Ariake Arena is another new venue which was impacted by Koike’s cost-cutting drive. Three possible options to replace the venue were proposed, with volleyball looking destined for a move to Yokohama Arena at one stage. Koike eventually confirmed that the arena, located in the northern part of Tokyo's Ariake district, would go ahead after claiming construction would cost less than originally thought. The venue reportedly came in at ¥33.9 billion. Ariake Arena has a main arena and a sub arena, and a capacity of 15,000 seats. Its main feature is a concave roof which reduces the amount of indoor space, minimising the need for lighting and air conditioning. Volleyball will be followed here by wheelchair basketball at the Paralympic Games. After Tokyo 2020, the venue will become an entertainment hub for sport and culture.

The IOC hoped to recreate the environment from the Youth Olympic Games here - allowing fans to wander through urban parks and view competitions. Coates even mooted the potential for the public to try out the sports for themselves after competitions. As it is, the Ariake Urban Sports Park

Ariake Urban Sports Park

may be close to silence apart from the sound of BMX racing on its temporary course, and the sound of athletes landing tricks in the BMX freestyle and skateboarding competitions. The latter two events, debuting at the Games, will hope the location in the waterfront area of Tokyo Bay can lessen the blow caused by the lack of fans.

Ariake Gymnastics Centre

Located a short walk from the Ariake Urban Sports Park and a five minute drive from the Athletes’ Village, the Ariake Gymnastics Centre is a modern sporting facility with traditional Japanese design. The 12,000-capacity venue was built on an area previously used for timber storage, which inspired the concept. Timber was used for the roof frames, the main auditorium and the building’s exterior, which showcases traditional Japanese craftsmanship. Organisers say the venue has one of the largest timber roofs in the world, coming in at 30m wide. The venue also includes 90m wooden roof beams and is free of steel framework. This allows the creation of a large open space without pillars in the centre of the venue. Crafted wooden benches have been installed for fans. Initially due to be a temporary venue, organisers announced in 2016 that the building would remain for 10 years as an exhibition centre.

Ariake Coliseum

Tennis will take place at Ariake Tennis Park, one of the main facilities for the sport in Japan. The venue has indoor and outdoor courts, with Ariake Coliseum serving as the centre court. The 10,000 capacity venue is one of the few tennis courts in the world with a roof. It is known for staging the Japan Open and Pan Pacific Open.

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Odaiba Marine Park

Marathon swimming and the start of the Olympic triathlon events will take place at Odaiba Marine Park, which offers greenery, the ocean and views of Tokyo's skyline. The Rainbow Bridge will undoubtedly feature in television coverage from the site. Concerns have been raised over water quality, however, while start times have been brought forward to combat concerns about the heat.

Shiokaze Park

Shiokaze Park will be the home of beach volleyball during Tokyo 2020. A temporary venue will be installed at the largest park in the Tokyo waterfront area of Odaiba. The park offers exquisite views of Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Bay.

Completed in May 2019, Sea Forest Waterway will stage rowing and canoe sprint competitions. The 2,300m course in Tokyo Bay is expected to become a regular venue for international events. Koike pondered a move to Naganuma, 400 kilometres away, as part of cost-cutting efforts.

Sea Forest Waterway

Ultimately, this did not happen, with the alternative venue considered more expensive. An inauguration ceremony was held in 2019, featuring a race between alumni crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

Aomi Urban Sports Park

The temporary Aomi Urban Sports Park will host two debuting sports at the Olympics - 3x3 basketball and sport climbing. IOC officials visited a car park in 2017 and gave the green light for organisers to transform the site into an urban facility. Organisers hope the venue will help engage the world’s youth.

OTHER AREAS

Camp Asaka

Olympic shooting will return to the Asaka range for the second time, following Tokyo 1964. A temporary facility has been added to the existing venue for this year. Located around 30km from the National Stadium, the venue is the headquarters of the Japanese Eastern Army. It is the base for Japan’s Military Parade and the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force.

Musashino Forest Sports Plaza

The Musashino Forest Sport Plaza was the first new permanent venue to be completed for Tokyo 2020, although it was planned regardless of the Japanese capital being awarded the Games. Completed in November 2017, the facility has a swimming pool, a multi-use sports area, two fitness studios and a gym. The 10,000-capacity venue will host badminton, modern pentathlon's fencing round and wheelchair basketball.

Tokyo Stadium

Modern pentathletes will head from Musashino Forest Sport Plaza to Tokyo Stadium for the remainder of their competition. The stadium is located in Chōfu. The multi-purpose venue, known commercially as the Ajinomoto Stadium, will also host rugby sevens. It previously hosted eight matches at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Olympic football matches will also be held at the venue, alongside Saitama, Yokohama, Kashima, Rifu and Sapporo.

Saitama Super Arena

The 37,000-seat Saitama Super Arena, one hour north of Tokyo, was selected to host Olympic basketball competitions after a re-evaluation of Tokyo 2020’s original masterplan. Known as one of Japan's largest multipurpose venues, the arena has hosted a number of events including NBA matches, mixed martial arts, the World Figure Skating Championships and concerts. Saitama Super Arena was home to the John Lennon Museum between 2000 and 2010, displaying memorabilia from his widow Yoko Ono.

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Makuhari Messe

Located in Chiba, Makuhari Messe is a large-scale convention centre with three major zones - the International Exhibition Hall, the International Conference Hall and the Makuhari Event Hall. Fencing, taekwondo, wrestling and goalball will all be based here.

Baji Koen Equestrian Park

Original plans listed the main equestrian venue as Dream Island, an artificial island in Tokyo Bay. Changes were later approved for events to move to the existing Baji Koen Equestrian Park. The park hosted equestrian during Tokyo 1964 and is now a main centre for the promotion of horse riding and competitions.

Enoshima

Tokyo 2020 originally wanted a new Olympic sailing marina to be built next to Tokyo Gate Bridge in Tokyo Bay. The venue was eventually confirmed as Enoshima Yacht Harbour, the location used for the Tokyo 1964 sailing events. Enoshima Yacht Harbour is located in Fujisawa and was the first Japanese harbour capable of hosting water sports. Several Sailing World Cup events have been held here.

Kasumigaseki Country Club

Izu Velodrome

Concerns over costs saw the IOC and International Cycling Union at loggerheads in the latter stages of 2014 as changes to the Tokyo 2020 masterplan were devised. Original plans included a mountain bike facility in the Sea Forest area of Tokyo and a temporary velodrome near Tokyo Bay. Former UCI President Brian Cookson said the governing body was asked to make the biggest changes out of any sport as a deadlock continued. The UCI eventually relented and agreed to move track cycling and mountain bike events to Izu, 120km from Tokyo. Upgrades were promised at Izu Velodrome, the first 250m indoor track in Japan. The off-road mountain bike course measures 4,100m in length with elevations of up to 150m. The UCI’s agreement to move was rewarded when madison and BMX freestyle were added to the Tokyo 2020 programme. Road cycling races will begin in Tokyo, before heading towards Mount Fuji and ending at Fuji Speedway circuit. Considered the birthplace of Japanese golf after it was founded in 1929, Kasumigaseki Country Club says its guiding principle is "good fellowship, as expressed in the spirit of fair play, familiarity and trust in the members". The club, located at Kawagoe, was a late entry to Tokyo 2020’s bid book and was chosen over Wakasu Golf Links just eight months before the host city election. It was a controversial choice due to the club’s refusal to admit female members. The IOC and Koike threatened to change the venue which led to the club reversing its policy. In 2017, former United States President Donald Trump and Abe played a round of golf on the course with Hideki Matsuyama - later to become the first male Japanese golfer to win a major when he won the 2021 Masters.

Yokohama Stadium will host the men’s baseball and women’s softball finals, as the sports return to the Olympic programme. The 35,000-capacity venue is normally the home of Yokohama DeNA BayStars, who play in Nippon Professional Baseball.

Yokohama Stadium

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Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium

The 30,000-capacity venue is set to host six matches in softball and one in baseball. Its inclusion highlights regeneration efforts following the destructive 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and the subsequent tsunami which left 16,000 people dead. The disaster also led to a nuclear accident.

Surfing will make its Olympic debut around 60km east of Tokyo in Chiba, with competition at Tsurigasaki. Around 600,000 people are claimed to visit the beach each year, to surf waves on the Pacific coastline. Concerns have been raised about the potential size of the waves at the Games, but surfers who have competed there claim the quality is consistent. Sapporo was only due to host matches as part of the Olympic football tournament, but was abruptly announced as the host of the race walking and marathon events by the IOC in October 2019. The decision to move 800km north was made due to concerns over the heat in Tokyo. It caused rare public tension between the host city and the IOC, with Koike scolding the organisation for a “lack of consultation” before announcing the move. She labelled the IOC’s decision as “unprecedented” and said it was a “decision without agreement”. Events will centre around Odori Park in Sapporo, which annually holds the city’s marathon.

Odori Park

Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach