Top 10 things to know about the Olympic venues in Tokyo

Take your pick.

Forty-two in all, 25 previously existed, 10 temporary and eight built from scratch. The venues that will stage the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games come in all shapes and sizes, something for everyone.

While all are essential in the delivery of the Games, here’s 10 of them with a particular point of difference:

Olympic Stadium

Locals just call it koku-ritsu – meaning “National”.

Undoubtedly the metonym of Tokyo 2020, the 68,000-seater is built on the same premises as the main stadium of Tokyo’s last Games in 1964.

The old stadium was used to showcase the country’s biggest sporting and entertainment events until it was torn down for the new one, which was completed in November 2019.

The Kuma Kengo-designed Olympic Stadium has a natural, wooden tone to it and fits right in the Meiji Jingu Gaien district, a heaven for runners including internationally acclaimed writer Murakami Haruki.

The ground is Japan’s answer to a Wembley, Maracana or the Bird’s Nest, and will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the athletics and football competitions.

It is also a stone’s throw away from another Olympic venue, Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, which will hold the table tennis.

Yoyogi National Gymnasium

Still one of the most beloved pieces of architecture in the city, this arena was also built for the 1964 Games to house swimming and diving events. For Tokyo 2020, it will be home to handball and in the Paralympics, wheelchair rugby and badminton.

The venue is the work of world-renowned architect Tange Kenzo, whose design at the time was seen as an industry marvel.

Construction began in February 1963 and a 24/7/365 operation was required to complete it – only 39 days before Tokyo 1964 opened. For his contribution, Tange was specially decorated by then International Olympic Committee President Avery Brundage.

The gymnasium is nestled in between Tokyo’s trend hubs Shibuya and Harajuku.