Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic sporting facilities have become available to rent in a time of increasing uncertainty over whether the sporting extravaganza will be feasible amid the ongoing pandemic.
The Tokyo metropolitan government hopes to raise public interest in the Olympics prior to the Games, which have been postponed to next summer, by making the facilities more accessible to the general public, and their presence more appealing so they will not be thought of as "a negative legacy" in the future.
-- 1st match in 5 months
Late last month at Oi Hockey Stadium in Shinagawa Ward in the Tokyo Bay area near Haneda Airport, field hockey players were seen chasing a ball with their sticks on a brand new pitch.
For the first time in five months a match was held at the stadium -- which was completed in June 2019 -- by the Tokyo Hockey Association.
With no spectators in the stadium, the players ran out on the pitch after thoroughly disinfecting themselves and having their temperatures taken. Although it wasn't easy, Yusuke Katayama, a 39-year-old player-coach of a nonprofessional team, who participated in the game, said with a smile: "I'm thrilled to be able to play at a Games venue. I want to play here again."
-- 'Useful and accessible' venues
The metropolitan government has invested 137.5 billion yen in six facilities prepared for the Games, including Oi Hockey Stadium, and Ariake Arena (volleyball) and the Sea Forest Waterway (boating and canoeing), which are both in Koto Ward.
After the Games, these facilities are planned to 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 yen and 500 million yen, or more, due to maintenance costs among other expenses.
Maintenance costs are still incurred even when the facilities are left idle due to the postponement of the Games. Taking this into consideration, the metropolitan government began renting four of 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 yen per hour.
"The main purpose [of renting these facilities] is to raise public knowledge about the Games by letting them use the actual venues [prepared for the Games], rather than just to use the rental fees to cover the maintenance costs," said a metropolitan government official in charge of the rental system. "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.
-- Preventing infections
Using the facilities has one condition -- implementing efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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 to hold a variety of events at the Tokyo Games' venues, such as a gathering for fans to meet top athletes, but they are yet to be held due to the risk of infection.
"We'd like these facilities to be more widely available to the public, but we should never 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."
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