The starting pistol has been fired on construction of the new National Stadium, at a site that remains a shamefaced wasteland less than four years before the Tokyo Olympics.
The government on Friday approved the terms of a ¥149 billion ($1.47 billion) contract to build the complex, a little under its declared cap of ¥155 billion.
Pending complications — a feature of Japan's performance so far — a consortium led by construction giant Taisei Corp. will sign the contract soon, with work starting in December.