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Japan to keep Olympic stadium design as cost soars to Y250 bil

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Too late to bring back the elegant, understated, historic stadium from the 1964 Olympics, eh? Damned shame. Should have listened.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

There was an interest piece in The Economist from Feb 2015 regarding the wasted spending over the years by countries that have hosted Olympics and World Cups. Will countries never learn?!

250 billion yen would go along ways towards the rebuilding of Tohoku. Or dealing with any number of other social issues facing Japan.

But, no, Tokyo will get a brand new stadium.

Glad the politicians have their priorities right!

17 ( +17 / -0 )

So, it's going to cost 90 billion more than in their 'compact, economic' pledge, and they're also not going to stick to the promised design which was part of the 'technological know-how' also promised in the pledge? And this is also 'for the people in Tohoku', as the government advertised in trying to get the games, right? We're paying billions extra for someone no one will use later (and they will NOT build the roof after the Games!) under the guise of helping those now being forced back to their homes or face cuts in compensation... ah, the priorities!

17 ( +20 / -3 )

@smithinjapan:

LOL, one would think we were discussing with each when writing our respective comments!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Costs are soaring because it has to be built and the construction companies can rake the government for money.

Why didn't the government get a fixed price quote from the construction companies make the companies stand by the quote and make them eat the costs rather than the tax payers?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

"under the guise of helping those now being forced back to their homes or face cuts in compensation" and in an area of the region of emitting rads to breathe...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Pork and benefits for your cronies and patrons. Bread and circuses (and austerity) for the masses. Let the good times roll.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

This reminds me a lot of Montreal`s Olympic Stadium, built for the 1976 games. I think Montrealers only recently finished paying off the debt that one caused - for an ugly stadium plagued by design problems (ie bits of the stadium constantly falling down) which now sits heavily underutilized since the Expos left town more than a decade ago.

Funnily enough if you look at a picture of the Montreal Olympic Stadium it actually looks very similar to the design of this one.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

90 BILLION increase in the bill. And this is just the beginning.

How much good could be done in the Tohoku area - which was shamelessly used as emotional blackmail to get this king of a ll pork barrel projects off the ground - with 90 billion yen?

This is an absolute disgrace. Politicos and their chums in construction are stuffing their pockets with money that we can't afford to waste.

When will the IOC get the same kind of scrutiny as FIFA recently enjoyed?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Don't worry about the bill.

Abenomics will fix it!

(Sarcasm)

2 ( +2 / -0 )

by the way who forced Japan to have the Olympics Games?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What is it about the Olympics that makes it appear to be a well-endowed young blonde to these blithering politicians who once see their chance at getting one makes all kinds of absurd and expensive promises they know they have no way of fulfilling without going bankrupt?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Here's to all those who wanted the games and rejoiced when Tokyo was awarded. Tohoku has been, but is now officially an after thought. Also, no need to spend the extra money for the sun roof it it's not going to be ready for the Games.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@gogogo

Why didn't the government get a fixed price quote from the construction companies make the companies stand by the quote and make them eat the costs rather than the tax payers?

Because of pork barrelling & contracts to the Yaks.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

harvey pekar,

Good question!

I wonder the same thing.

Why is it that so many politicians and civil servants think they know all about "the business world" when they haven't a clue?

I think the problem with today's world is OVER-GOVERNMENT.

Governments should be seen but not heard!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Absolutely disgusting decision by the Japanese government. The money should be used to address more important social issues. Japanese politicians and bureaucrats have no shame.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The sports ministry has reached a deal with two construction firms to build the new national stadium in Tokyo for an estimated cost of 250 billion yen ($2 billion), according to the Nikkei business daily.

Firts off, 250 billion yen is closer to $3 BILLION at today's exchange rate. But what's another billion dollars at this point, right? Second, this is hardly a "deal" for the sports ministry. Third, even though I lived in Japan for over ten years, I still cannot believe that such blatant inefficiency and waste of taxpayers money to benefit the big construction firms that support the LDP goes on in this manner -- and with no outcry, from either the public or politicians. Is Masuzoe the only official there with any perspective?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Seems to me that again the construction companies are the winners here. Get the government to pay them large amount of money with people taxes is just "brilliant", they are undoubtedly the ones who really hold this country.

On top of that they made sure to inflate the price so that we've got to pay them as much as possible while in the same time making sure that nobody in this circus called government opposes them by providing some cash with the usual "compensation" as they call it here. We call it in the civilized world corruption but you know they like euphemisms here.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Where are the protests here? What a waste of money (especially in the times of this world recession).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What a bloody mess! And remember the ORIGINAL BUDGET was Y130billion, so that's Y120billion over budget!!

And we have FIVE that's FIVR years to go, these costs will continue to balloon, we AINT near done yet!

And when they bid for the Olympics all I remember hearing was talks about all the facilities build that would be used and the MASSIVE amount of $$$ ready for any extra.............fast forward not to damned far & this is a plane wreck, a train wreck, a total colossal MESS!

And yes Tohoku sits there, short of labour, politicians sitting on their thumbs doing little, decisions hardly being made

Words just cant describe this CRAP!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I think it's going to need a roof and some damn good air-conditioning if they want the events held there to be sold out. A sweaty July 24 start and an even sweatier Aug 9 finish. Like the Qatar World Cup, I'd say many athletes would prefer not to risk their lives.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

250 billion yen is closer to $3 BILLION at today's exchange rate

No, it's closer to $2 billion, assuming we are taking USD.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Tokyo Metro Govt has a US$4.5 billion account to play with so they can afford it as long as the national government chips in too. Should still end up cheaper overall than Russia's Winter Olympics in Sochi that cost US$51 billion or Beijing's Summer Games that were about US$44 billion.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Considering the current FIFA scandal and the trail of devastation this has left over the years in huge stadia that nobody wants or uses, I wonder if a similar investigation of the IOC would turn something up?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Cost has risen to pay off all the YAKUZA sub contractors . Anyone who has worked in the construction or transportation field in Japan knows the Yakuza owns any and everything that moves material for construction in Japan. 2 billion dollars for this shit while Fukushima refugees live in matchbox huts infront of JR train stations... and you thought the Chinese were savages?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Totally disgusting. Just when Japan can't seem to get any worse, they bring out this crap!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

incredible...this stadium will probably end up costing more than three times what the main facility for the london games cost [approx us$ 786m] in 2012

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I think the stadium looks like a giant kayak..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's a truly beautiful design, but as an artist with a deep interest in architecture I can tell just by looking at it that it will be hellish to build and will eventually cost far more than present estimates. It will also be a pain in the ass for the residents of the area, and how many people lost their homes and businesses to this monster?

I think, really, that after China built such an impressive and modernistic stadium for the Olympics there, Japan felt they had to come up with something bigger and better to show them up. Pure ego here. Would have been far better to build a simple but elegant stadium with the comfort of the spectators and athletes in mind. I would have liked to have seen a design which more expresses traditional Japanese concepts of beauty and simplicity. This one just looks like an invading spaceship. Beautiful design, as I said, but it just doesn't FIT.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Pro tip: If you don't like an architect design, then don't choose it for your stadium!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

They are expecting Japan Inc ad contracts. Some 2 of them on walls Check Nintendo, Auto makers. even samsung and APPLE. On the sky, Bridgestone, ballons.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

EVERYONE seems to be forgetting that Japan is located on a couple of seismic fault lines - imagine a fairly sizable One hitting Kanto area during construction... this is a disaster in hiding (but the disaster's fanny is in plain view)!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Now Economic coming back on track butsuvh costly project will negative impact on Market.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Do the arithmetic! This is Kuroda's Abenomics at work for you! At the time the deal was done, the yen was dominating the dollar (and/or euro). Now, 35 to 40% weaker, it makes sense for the costs to be proportionately higher!

We import all that construction material, transportation fuel, electricity and energy costs... Only the laborer's paychecks don't move!

Abenomics is Abegeddon!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I calculated it will cost 200000 yen per man, woman and child. Excluding the roof.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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