Tokyo Extravaganza 2020

The investigation team of the Headquarter for Political Reform in Tokyo Metropolitan Government warned on Thursday that the total cost for Tokyo Olympic 2020 could exceed ¥3 trillion in their intermediate report. Although Tokyo achieved the ticket for hosting Olympic games with estimate of reasonable cost, the actual plan was not based on that concept. Governor Yuriko Koike is in a hurry to review how the plan was made and who is responsible for.

In the original estimate of the cost for Tokyo Olympic was ¥734 billion at the time of invitation in 2013, which included estimated spending of ¥500 billion for new National Stadium. The Organization Committee for Tokyo Olympic has later announced that the cost for building seven new facilities would be ¥764 billion, not including the operational cost for the event. Cost for Olympic has already accumulated over the limit set at the beginning.

The investigation team, joined by economists or consultants, counted total cost with basic question for opaque process of the estimation. It focused on three facilities planned to be newly built, water pool for boat or canoe, stadium for volleyball and swimming pool. They are considered to be replaced with existing facilities in or out of Tokyo. Alternative place for boat and canoe would be in Tome City, Miyagi, two hours away from Tokyo with bullet train.

Having elected with campaign promise for political reform in Tokyo, Koike is willing to review whole plan of hosting Olympic, as well as scandalous move of Tsukiji Fish market. “I would seriously receive the warning of the investigation team, considering running cost after the Olympic. I cannot coerce negative legacy to the people in Tokyo,” said Koike to the reporters.

To change the plan for Olympic, the organization committee needs to submit alternative plan to International Olympic Committee. Organizations of athletes are reluctant for changing the original plan, which may drop an option of building brand-new facility. The Chairman of the organization committee, former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, is negative on reforming agenda of Koike, which would undermine his political status.

It is fair to say that the cost four times greater than original plan is extravagant. Not only building new facilities, Tokyo needs to lay reliable measures for preventing terrorism or public transportation for sending athletes. Based on the data in London Olympic, the cost for security or transportation was estimated as ¥1.6 trillion, far greater than ¥770 billion for building new facilities. The promotion team for Tokyo Olympic was too optimistic to host it.