TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a $1.5 billion National Stadium to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Koike and other dignitaries attended the event Sunday at the site of the demolished National Stadium that was used during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. They launched the construction of the stadium by putting their hands on a glass sphere that rotated through pastels of the colors of the Olympic logo.

The ceremony ended with a video replete with computer graphics showing how the stadium is expected to look and function once completed by November 2019.

Work on the stadium in the center of the city fell behind schedule because the government abandoned the original design amid spiraling costs and complaints. </s> Tokyo held a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday for a $1.5 billion National Stadium to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and other dignitaries launched the construction at the site of the demolished National Stadium, which was used during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, by putting their hands on a glass sphere that rotated through pastels of the colors of the Olympic logo.

The ceremony ended with a video replete with computer graphics showing how the stadium is expected to look and function once completed by November 2019.

Work on the stadium in the center of the city fell behind schedule because the government abandoned the original design amid spiraling costs and complaints over its scale and appearance.

Koike, Tokyo's first female governor, took office in July pledging to use her platform to host a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly 2020 Olympics. She has lambasted organizers of the 2020 games for failing to keep costs under control.

An expert panel she appointed put the price tag of the 2020 Games at over $30 billion, barring drastic cost-cutting measures, a more than a four-fold increase from the initial estimate when the city was awarded the games in 2013.

Fans of the old stadium, built in the late 1950s, had lobbied to keep and renovate it. But in the end the government opted to replace it with a more modern facility.

Kengo Kuma, the architect of the new, open-air stadium, chose a wooden lattice design that echoes traditional styles seen in Japanese shrines and pagodas. It is intended to blend in with surrounding parkland and will be structured to minimize costs for heating and cooling.

The structure will use Japanese-grown larch in its wood and steel composite roof and prefabricated panels to help speed the work along and contain costs. </s> Tokyo has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a $1.5bn (£1.2bn) national stadium that will host the 2020 Olympic Games.

The prime minister, Shinzo Abe, Tokyo’s governor, Yuriko Koike, and other dignitaries attended the event on Sunday at the site of the demolished national stadium that was used during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. They launched the construction of the stadium by putting their hands on a glass sphere that rotated through pastels of the colours of the Olympic logo.

The ceremony ended with a video showing how the stadium is expected to look and function once completed by November 2019.

Work on the stadium in the centre of the city fell behind schedule because the government scrapped controversial plans for a dramatic Zaha Hadid-designed $2bn stadium envisioned as the focal point of the 2020 Games amid concerns about rising costs and a growing public backlash.

Koike took office in July pledging to use her platform to host a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly Olympics. She has lambasted organisers of the 2020 Games for failing to keep costs under control.



An expert panel she appointed put the price tag of the 2020 Games at more than $30bn , barring drastic cost-cutting measures, more than a four-fold increase from the initial estimate when the city was awarded the Games in 2013.



Fans of the old stadium, built in the late 1950s, lobbied to keep and renovate it, but the government opted to replace it with a more modern facility.

Kengo Kuma, the architect of the new stadium, chose a wooden lattice design that echoes traditional styles seen in Japanese shrines and pagodas. It is intended to blend in with surrounding parkland and will be structured to minimise costs for heating and cooling.

The structure will use Japanese-grown larch in its wood and steel composite roof and prefabricated panels to help speed the work along and contain costs. </s> The Olympics are about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E.

On Saturday, Tokyo, Japan, defeated Istanbul for the right to host the 2020 Olympics, even after concerns that the lingering affects of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster would cause contamination and safety concerns for athletes and spectators.

“Tokyo can be trusted to be the safe pair of hands and much more,” bid leader and IOC member Tsunekazu Takeda said in the final presentation. “Our case today is simple. Vote for Tokyo and you vote for guaranteed delivery. … Tokyo is the right partner at the right time.” Tokyo had been on the defensive in the final days of the campaign because of mounting concerns over the leak of radioactive water from the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. In the final presentation, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave the IOC assurances that the Fukushima leak was not a threat to Tokyo and took personal responsibility for keeping the games safe. “Let me assure you the situation is under control,” Abe said. “It has never done and will never do any damage to Tokyo.” (via AP)

Of course, this is a severe, hilarious red flag for anyone who has ever seen the classic 1988 anime Akira. In the film, Japan is set to host the 2020 Olympics (seriously) several years after an explosion destroyed Tokyo (seriously). At the time, that was in reference to the last time Japan hosted the games back in 1964, when the fallout from World War II was still fresh but the atomic bombing of Hiroshima had been more or less mind-wiped from the memories of the Japanese. Now it’s just eerily-prescient, and can replace “Chicago wins the World Series in 2015 in Back To The Future II” as our Nostradamus 80s movie prediction of choice.

I won’t spoil the film if you haven’t seen it (or the manga, if you haven’t read it), but if Japan starts building glorious new Olympic stadiums, we should really, really check to make sure what they’re hiding under it.

This is what Japan’s Olympic dreams look like in 2013 … </s> The deal enables the company to recruit Torchbearers and conduct promotional activities using the Olympic Torch Relay emblem.

Tokyo 2020 President Yoshirō Mori, welcomed the support of the soft drink giant - a sponsor of the Olympic Games since Amsterdam 1928.

Coca-Cola is now a member of the International Olympic Committee's TOP sponsorship scheme.

"We are delighted to welcome Coca-Cola as the first presenting partner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay," Mori said.

"Coca-Cola has supported the Olympic Torch Relay as a presenting partner at 12 previous editions of the Games and leveraging their deep experience, we plan to make the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay a successful event that will help get everyone fired up before the Games."

The Relay is due to commence its journey across Japan on March 26 in 2020 in Fukushima Prefecture.

It will start its journey southwards.

The Torch is likely to traverse the inland prefectures of central Japan against the backdrop of Japan's famous cherry blossoms, which typically bloom there in early April.

The Relay is then scheduled to proceed southwest until it reaches the islands of Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan, in early May.

It will make its way back up to the north of the country, passing through Kyoto in late May, all the way up to Hokkaido, where it is set to arrive in mid-June.

The Relay will then turn southwards again and complete its long journey in Tokyo after spending three days in each of the four prefectures outside of the capital that are hosting events during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

The torch will traverse Japan for a total of 121 days.

Jorge Garduño, the President of Coca-Cola Japan, mirrored the excitement of Mori, adding: "We are tremendously proud to be the longest continuous partner of the Olympic Games, with a relationship that started back in 1928.

"And we have also been deeply involved in the Olympic Torch Relay since 1992.

"Today, we are extremely excited to announce that we have become the first presenting partner for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay.

"Our goal is to spread the excitement of the Olympic spirit by offering once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of the Olympic Movement.

"We are sure that this will be an unforgettable and special experience." </s> 57 perish from the heatwave in Japan but the 2020 Olympics to be held in the same period

At least 57 people have perished in the last week in Japan based on the horrendous heatwave. At the same time, over 18,000 people have been treated at countless hospitals because of the extremely high temperature and terrible humidity. However, despite this, and the Olympic Committee and Japan knowing full well the problem of heat during this time period in Japan, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo will be held during the same period.

Of course, the immediate concern is for people facing the ongoing heatwave in Japan. After all, it is more than likely that the death toll will increase further. Similarly, the number of people going to hospitals will increase further. Hence, it is imperative that people take precautions.

Turning back to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, then it seems incredulous that the Olympics will be held during the same time period. This applies to athletes, volunteers, local people attending the Olympics, and international spectators. Therefore, why hold the 2020 Tokyo Olympics during such horrendous heat and humidity?

The schedule of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is the Opening Ceremony on 24 July and the Closing Ceremony on 9 August. In other words, the nightmare period of the usually hot summer will cover the period of the Olympics. This notably applies to late July and the month of August that is extremely hot and humid – and full of pesky mosquitoes.

Of course, the Local Government of Tokyo will take precautions to help athletes and spectators. Yet, the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo were held in the cooler period of October in order to avoid such scorching heat. Hence, enormous expenditure is being spent to alleviate the situation. Also, certain popular events will be held earlier in the day. However, this will hinder many people in Japan from viewing the Olympics based on work and so forth.

The ongoing heatwave will continue in Japan during the August period. Therefore, more people will likely perish from the terrible heat and humidity. Hence, it seems bizarre to hold the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 during the same period.

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Tokyo breaks ground for the National Olympic Stadium on the site of the stadium used for the 1964 Olympic Games.