Accommodation at the Asian Games in Japan has drawn sharp criticism from visiting delegations, with South Korean officials labeling the arrangements the worst ever just days before the official opening ceremony on Sept 19. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), teams are facing a severe shortage of rooms across the Aichi-Nagoya area, forcing some delegations to seek alternative lodging through Airbnb while athletes contend with undersized beds and temporary facilities.
Accommodation Shortages and Housing Conditions in Nagoya
Organisers of the Asian Games opted against building a traditional, dedicated athletes’ village, choosing instead to house competitors across a chartered cruise ship, temporary wooden container-style huts, and regional hotels to control costs. However, these cost-saving measures have sparked immediate backlash from participating nations. Jung Jae-yong, vice-president of the Korea Basketball Association, told AFP that the conditions in the shipping container cabins are unacceptable. He noted that athletes standing over two meters tall cannot stretch their legs out on the provided beds. Compounding the physical constraints, South Korean basketball player Byeon Jun-hyeong shared footage on social media depicting a leaking sink and a soaked floor inside his hut, accompanied by a plea for assistance.
The temporary cabins are designated to house roughly 2,000 athletes and officials throughout the two-week competition. The living situation has raised enough alarm that Indian sports chiefs constructed exact replicas of the cabins to help their athletes acclimatize prior to arrival, according to AFP. Furthermore, extreme weather has already disrupted the temporary site; hundreds of athletes required temporary evacuation last week as record-breaking rainfall swept through Nagoya, with meteorologists predicting additional downpours.
Logistical Pressures and Delegation Responses
The housing strain stems largely from unprecedented attendance figures. More than 17,000 athletes and officials are anticipated at the Games, surpassing typical Olympic participation numbers and outstripping the initial local organising committee projections of 15,000. Organisers stated in August that they lacked both the manpower and the budget to accommodate the unexpectedly large influx. A subsequent joint statement issued by local organisers and the Olympic Council of Asia assured that all participants registered ahead of the July deadline would receive appropriate lodging.
Despite these assurances, logistical challenges persist. A representative for the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee told AFP that delegations from around the world are feeling the pinch of the room deficit in the Aichi-Nagoya region. Meanwhile, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino confirmed to AFP that while all Filipino athletes secured beds, administrative staff and coaches had to be relocated to external hotels and Airbnb rentals. To ease capacity strains, the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena is scheduled to dock in Nagoya, providing floating quarters for an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 athletes, with remaining competitors distributed across hotels, including sites in Tokyo hosting swimming, diving, and equestrian events.