All Olympic and Paralympic venues available next year

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Makuhari Messe Hall, one of the venues for the Tokyo Olympics, is seen on April 4. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

All venues for the postponed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are expected to be available in a year's time, and the schedule is largely the same as it would have been this year, organizing committee officials revealed in an interview Wednesday.

The schedule of events at venues that would have been used this year will slide forward to the Games' opening on July 23, 2021.

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games will report to the International Olympic Committee's general meeting on July 17 that the sites are ready for use.

Yokohama Baseball Stadium, one of the venues for the Tokyo Olympics, is seen on March 23. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Since it was decided to postpone the Games, the organizing committee has been negotiating with the owners of 43 venues for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Some facilities, such as Makuhari Messe Hall in Chiba, had already been reserved for other events next year, but the two sides reached broad agreement through negotiations by Wednesday.

The organizing committee is considering simplifying the Games to reduce costs and will continue negotiations with venue owners to shorten their period of use.

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