Athletes' village features accessibility, scenic views

Jan 10, 2020 | News On Japan

Jan 10, 2020 (Japan Times) - Details of the waterfront athletesâ€™ village for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games were revealed Thursday, with organizers emphasizing its accessibility and ease of use for para-athletes.

Located near the center of scheduled events inside the capital, the 44-hectare village features three sides offering scenic views of the sea. A transport mall at the center of the village will provide buses to and from the venues.

â€œItâ€™s distinct for not being in the suburbs but being in the middle of the city, close to Odaiba, Haneda, Shinagawa and Ginza,â€ said village general manager Takashi Kitajima. â€œAthletes will be able to bask in a sense of spacious calm as they take in the views on offer.â€

Some 21 buildings, which are between 14 and 18 stories tall, will accommodate 18,000 beds for athletes and staff during the Olympics, and 8,000 during the Paralympics. A total of 3,800 condominiums can hold up to eight people, with each room having up to two beds.

The bed frames are made of sturdy recycled cardboard, in line with organizersâ€™ efforts to host an environmentally friendly and sustainable games.

Air conditioners used in the village will be donated after the games to areas hit by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that devastated Tohoku. The villageâ€™s residential buildings are planned to be renovated and converted to apartments after the games.

The two-story main dining hall will remain open 24 hours a day since there are no cooking facilities in the condominiums.

Athletes can also access a complex inside the premises housing a clinic, gym and casual dining.

Typhoon Bavi Threatens Guam, Saipan and Okinawa

Typhoon No. 9 Bavi had intensified into a violent typhoon near the Truk Islands by the afternoon of July 4 and is forecast to strengthen further before passing near Guam and Saipan, with the storm potentially approaching Okinawa and the Sakishima Islands from around July 10 to July 11.

Osaka Mosasaur Fossil May Rewrite Japan’s Prehistoric Record

A fossil discovered in Osaka has led to Japan’s first finding of its kind, raising the possibility that a giant marine predator believed to have swum in the seas around the Kansai region about 70 million years ago was a previously unknown species.

Carlos Ghosn Says Nissan Needs Him as CEO

Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn said the automaker is in a "state of emergency" and signaled he would be willing to return as chief executive officer, arguing that only a true decision-maker in the CEO role could rescue the company.

U.S. Military Returns Entire Negishi Housing Area to Japan After 79 Years

The entire Negishi Housing Area in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, has been returned to Japan for the first time in 79 years, ending its use as a residential district for U.S. military personnel and their families.

Strong Quakes Strike Japan 11 Times Since April

Strong earthquakes have continued to shake parts of Japan in recent weeks, with 11 temblors measuring lower 5 or above on the Japanese seismic intensity scale recorded across the country since April 2026.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Japan’s Youth Overdose Crisis Is Spreading Beyond Street Hangouts

The growing abuse of over-the-counter drugs among young people in Japan reflects not only easy access to medicines but also loneliness, social media influence and a shortage of places where troubled youths can be safely seen and heard, according to a discussion among an addiction specialist, a former overdose user and a recovery worker with experience of drug and alcohol dependence.

Indian Restaurant in Yokohama Destroyed by Fire

An Indian restaurant in a shopping street in Yokohama's Nishi Ward was destroyed by fire on Saturday morning, with 34 fire engines and other emergency vehicles sent to the scene.

The Reality of Male Menopause: Anger and Irritability

Recent symptoms such as fatigue and irritability may be signs of menopause, a condition often seen as a women’s health issue but one that also affects many men, especially those in their 40s and 50s who face growing responsibilities, declining recognition and physical changes that are difficult to discuss.

Teacher Was Drying Clothes in Tokyo School Fire That Injured 11

A female music teacher at a municipal elementary school in Tokyo’s Kita Ward has told officials she was drying private clothing in a music preparation room where a fire broke out last month, injuring 11 pupils and others.

Missing 10-Year-Old Boy Found Dead After Leaving Classroom

A 10-year-old boy who went missing from a special needs school in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, was found submerged in a waterfall on July 2 and later confirmed dead.

Yakuza Boss Denies Killing Gyoza President

Prosecutors sought life imprisonment for Yukio Tanaka, a senior member of a gang affiliated with the Kudo-kai crime syndicate, as his trial over the 2013 fatal shooting of Osho Food Service president Takayuki Ohigashi concluded at the Kyoto District Court, with a verdict scheduled to be handed down on October 16.

Police Set Up Kabukicho Council To Protect Toyoko Kids

Shinjuku Ward, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department have jointly established a Kabukicho measures council to strengthen efforts to prevent young people known as "Toyoko Kids" from being drawn into crime in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.

Chinese Man Arrested After Speeding Porsche Hits Two Cars In Tokyo

A 23-year-old Chinese man has been arrested and sent to prosecutors on suspicion of dangerous driving resulting in injury after allegedly crashing a Porsche into two vehicles at an intersection in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward on June 9, leaving three people with minor injuries.

< 2 3 4 5 >