As major sporting events grow in scale and visibility, cities around the world are racing to show off their green credentials by offering eco-conscious and unconventional housing for athletes.
But as recent experiences have shown, innovation doesn’t always translate into comfort or safety.
Following the backlash at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where athletes slept on cardboard beds, endured limited meat options, and suffered in sweltering heat due to a lack of air conditioning, Japan’s 2026 Asian Games is stirring up its own storm of controversy.
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Organisers have announced that 4,600 athletes and officials will be accommodated on a “floating village” – a luxury cruise ship docked at Nagoya Port.
An additional 2,400 will stay in temporary container shelters a short drive away. The rest of the approximately 15,000 participants will be spread across various sites, including Tokyo, which will host the swimming events.
Japan’s typhoon season
While the floating village may appear stylish and sustainable, critics are questioning the timing: the Games will be held during Japan’s notorious typhoon season, from September 19 to October 4.
With memories of Typhoon Hagibis disrupting the 2019 Rugby World Cup still fresh, many are asking whether housing athletes on water or in metal containers is truly wise, or a disaster waiting to happen.
Organisers have defended the plan as a cost-effective alternative to building a permanent athletes’ village, saying the cruise ship and container sites are only ten minutes apart by shuttle bus.
The 2026 Games mark the event’s return to Japan for the first time since Hiroshima in 1994.
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