Japan has an Olympic minister, he faces the resolution of disputes over the stadium

Zaha Hadid, Olympic Stadium in Tokyo

Tokyo - Japan today appointed its first Minister of the Olympic Games. The task of 65-year-old Toshiaki Endo will be to lead the country's preparations for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2020. In a position that was established just a month ago, he will face a number of pressing issues, particularly the rising costs of sports facilities construction and disputes over the design of the new national stadium, Reuters reports.
    The international competition for the design of the new national stadium in Tokyo was won by renowned British architect Zaha Hadid with her futuristic design, who previously designed, among others, the water sports hall for the London Olympics in 2012.
    "The stadium is meant to showcase the capabilities of the Japanese to the world, so an extremely challenging design was chosen, which ultimately increased financial costs and prolonged the construction time," said Japanese expert Hitoshi Sakai.
    The initial estimated cost for building the stadium was 130 billion yen (25 billion CZK). However, last year the estimates soared to 300 billion yen (59 billion CZK), prompting Japanese officials to seek to modify the architectural design.
    Many experts regret that the former stadium in central Tokyo, which hosted the Olympics in 1964, was demolished. "I believe that a facility that would utilize the old stadium and enhance it with new functions would have been better," said Sakai. He reminded that Sydney and London also adjusted their original grand plans for the Olympic stadium. "It is really a shame that this problem arose at a time when the old stadium had already been demolished," he added.
    The main feature of Hadid's futuristic stadium design, which has been likened to a bicycle helmet or a turtle, consists of two massive arches that, according to critics, disproportionately increase the construction cost.
    An alternative plan was submitted two weeks ago by an architectural firm led by the holder of the prestigious Pritzker Prize, architect Fumihiko Maki. He would forgo the mentioned arches and create a predominantly open stadium "in the shape of a donut" for approximately 162 billion yen (32 billion CZK).
    "It's nothing revolutionary. It's a building that could be built anywhere," Maki told Reuters. One of the Ministry of Education representatives, however, rejected the proposal, stating that it is not detailed enough and is "unrealistic." Other officials claim that rejecting Hadid's design would damage Japan's reputation and could even lead to legal disputes.
    The new minister in charge of organizing the Olympics, Endo, is an experienced politician. He has been a member of the Japanese parliament for 22 years and has also served as Deputy Minister of Education. Among his hobbies, he lists rugby as his top interest.