(ATR) Sport officials reject a proposal to renovate, not raze, Tokyo National Stadium.
On Wednesday,Japanese newspaperThe Youmiuri ShimbunsaysJapan's sports ministry rejected a plan that would reduce seating in the national stadium by almost 25 percent.
Tokyo 2020 officials told Around the Ringsthe stadium's future is an issue for the JSC. The JSC was not immediately available for comment.
Officialsreached a consensus after reviewing renovation proposals from architects.
During the review, the Japanese daily says the ministry found several drawbacks to the proposal. Some problems include insufficient earthquake resistance and that the planned renovations would cast too much shade on surrounding buildings.
The stadium, considered an architectural gem, is being replaced with a new stadium for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Plans to demolish the existing stadium have faced opposition from a wide variety of architectural and civic groups.
Written byNicole Bennett
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