TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s government is on the defensive as criticism mounts over the spiraling cost to build the main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Newly appointed Olympics Minister Toshiaki Endo acknowledged on Tuesday that the latest estimate of 252 billion yen ($2 billion) represents a “substantial increase” from the initial estimate of 162.5 billion yen.
“I’m aware that many people are opposed to the plan, as public polls show,” he told a parliamentary committee, promising to explain the increase to the public.
Opposition lawmakers demanded answers from Endo and other officials.
Education and Sports Minister Hakubun Shimomura reiterated the government’s position that it’s too late to make changes, and still finish in time for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the first event scheduled for the planned stadium.
