TOKYO (AP) – Japanese political leaders say the new main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is too costly and are calling for cost-cutting efforts to reduce the burden on taxpayers.
The latest cost estimate of 252 billion yen ($2 billion) has nearly doubled from the initially planned 130 billion yen, and a sharp increase from the 163 billion yen estimate last year.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said officials are open to any suggestions to minimize the cost burden.
Renowned architect Tadao Ando, who headed the government committee that selected the design, said Thursday he was astonished by the bloated cost. He cited insufficient attention to cost feasibility in earlier planning stages.
The recent revelation of the numbers has triggered a public outcry and prompted calls for a review of the project.