The Japanese Olympic Committee on Tuesday approved Aichi Prefecture and its capital Nagoya as joint candidate hosts for the 2026 Asian Games.
The JOC executive board met in Tokyo and decided the two local governments will have to submit an official document attesting that they agree on the co-hosting before the Olympic Council of Asia meets later this month to select the host.
"It's regrettable things got confusing toward the end," said Eisuke Hiraoka, the JOC's secretary general, referring to Nagoya's recent announcement that it was reconsidering its plans for the Asian Games.
"It could become a matter of international trust. We hope they will positively proceed with the matter."
Aichi and Nagoya said in May that they will seek to jointly organize the Asian version of the Summer Olympics. Japan has held the Asian Games twice previously, in Tokyo in 1958 and in Hiroshima in 1994.
But Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura said last week that he was taking the scheme back to the drawing board after the central Japanese prefecture had not come forward with specific cost estimates.
The prefectural government then indicated to Nagoya the total costs will come to roughly ¥85 billion (about $820 million), and after subtracting ¥25 billion to be covered by sponsorships and other revenues, Aichi would pay two-thirds and the city one-third of the remaining amount.