Games venues rented out for training, matches

Some Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic sporting facilities have become available to rent at a time of increasing uncertainty over whether the sporting extravaganza will be feasible amid the ongoing pandemic.

In an effort to raise interest in the Games, which have been postponed to next summer, the Tokyo metropolitan government is making the facilities more accessible to the general public.

The Tokyo Hockey Association staged a match at Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward in late August. It was the first time in five months that a match had been held at the stadium — which was completed in June 2019.

“I’m thrilled to be able to play at a Games venue. I want to play here again,” said Yusuke Katayama, a 39- year- old player-coach of a nonprofessional team.

The metropolitan government has invested ¥137.5 billion in six facilities prepared for the Games, including Oi Hockey Stadium, as well as Ariake Arena (volleyball) and the Sea Forest Waterway (boating and canoeing), which are both in Koto Ward.

After the Games, these facilities will be used as bases for their respective sports. However, only the Ariake Arena is expected to generate a profit as it can also be used as a concert venue among other purposes, according to the metropolitan government.

The other five facilities are expected to incur an annual deficit of between ¥10 million and ¥500 million, or more, due to maintenance costs among other expenses.

Maintenance costs are incurred even when the facilities are left idle. Taking this into consideration, the metropolitan government began renting four of

Hockey players compete at Oi Hockey Stadium, one of the venues for the Tokyo Games. the six facilities in July to sports associations for training.

The Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre in Edogawa Ward was subsequently rented as a training site for Takuya Haneda, who has been selected to represent Japan in the Olympics, and other athletes.

The cost of renting the site begins at ¥4,000 per hour.

“The main purpose [of renting these facilities] is to raise public knowledge about the Games by letting people use the actual venues, rather than covering the maintenance costs with rental fees,” a metropolitan government official said. “We also hope to make the venues more useful and accessible after the Games.”

The Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Koto

Ward, which will be used for swimming and other events, is also scheduled to be available to rent. It is difficult to utilize the Ariake Arena because of its temporary seats, but the metropolitan government also plans to rent it for limited purposes such as non-audience concerts among other events.

Top athletes, such as 100- meter sprinter Yoshihide Kiryu, took part in a track and field event on Aug. 23 at the National Stadium in Shinjuku Ward, where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Tokyo Games will be held, but no spectators were allowed to enter the stadium to prevent the spread of the virus.

A major J. League tournament is scheduled at the stadium in November.

“Taking every possible measure [to prevent the spread of infections] among spectators is a condition of using the venue,” said an official of the Japan Sport Council, which runs and manages the stadium.

The metropolitan government is also considering holding a variety of events at the Tokyo Games’ venues, such as a gathering for fans to meet top athletes.

“We’d like these facilities to be more widely available to the public, but we can’t let infections spread at the Games venues,” said a metropolitan government official. “We would like to take all possible measures to promote the use of these facilities.”