Sports minister Hakubun Shimomura on Friday offered to resign over a humiliating false start in preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked him to stay on until a Cabinet reshuffle next month.
In July, Abe scrapped plans to build a costly new stadium — the centerpiece of the tournament — amid a public outcry over ballooning costs.
The issue has "caused concern and trouble to many people," the education, culture, sports, science and technology minister told a news conference.