今日のテキスト STADIUM PLAN TO BE REVIEWED

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the government will review plans to construct the main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The upward revision of the estimated construction cost has sparked criticism.

(Shinzo Abe / Japanese Prime Minister)
"I've decided to review the current plans for the new National Stadium, which will serve as the site for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We will review the plan from scratch."

The government announced last month that the construction of the new National Stadium will cost two billion dollars, about 700 million dollars more than the initial estimate. That triggered calls for a review of the plan.
The education and sports minister says contractors for the stadium will be selected within about six months. Shimomura says the government aims to complete a new stadium by mid-2020 because it will take more than 50 months after its blueprint is drawn up.