The Science Council of Japan will propose that the government modify its plan for the new national stadium out of environmental concerns, sources said.

The body will present its proposal, to be announced Friday, to the different stakeholders involved in building the giant new facility that will be the centerpiece for both Rugby World Cup 2019 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The facility is run by the Japan Sport Council, which will be asked to build "a true forest."

The plans for the new stadium have drawn opposition from domestic architects and citizens groups. The Science Council of Japan is claiming the current plan will turn the verdant Meiji Jingu Gaien neighborhood into a maze of concrete that will be incapable of supporting nature.