National

Over the hump: Olympic workers complete wooden roof for New National Stadium in Tokyo

Kyodo

The Japan Sport Council said Friday the wooden roof that will be the distinctive trademark of the main venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has been completed.

The roof of the New National Stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies of both the Olympics and Paralympics, had been under construction since February last year. Fitting together the domestically produced wooden components with the steel framework was considered the most difficult part of the stadium’s construction.

The council said construction is on schedule, with the completion date set for the end of November. Workers have already installed some 28,000 of the 60,000 seats estimated to be used during the games. The stadium was designed by architect Kengo Kuma.

The stadium will host the athletics events for both the Olympics and Paralympics, as well as the Olympic women’s soccer final.

The Olympics will be held between July 24 and Aug. 9, 2020, followed by the Paralympics from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6.

GET THE BEST OF THE JAPAN TIMES
IN FIVE EASY PIECES WITH TAKE 5

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

LATEST NATIONAL STORIES

Empress Emerita Michiko is driven to a hospital in Tokyo on Sept. 7 before undergoing breast cancer surgery.

Japan's Empress Emerita Michiko has breast cancer completely removed: Empress Emerita Michiko's breast cancer has been completely removed and no metastasis has been observed, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday. The agency announced the result of the final p...

Firefighters tackle a launch pad blaze at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on Sept. 11. The fire prompted the cancellation of the launch of an H-2B rocket.

Concentrated liquid oxygen was cause of fire ahead of Japan rocket launch, source says: A high concentration of liquid oxygen, used as rocket engine coolant, has been determined as being the cause of a fire that broke out earlier this month at a launch pad in southwestern Japan, an of...

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addresses a meeting on the future of Japan's social security at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Friday.

Abe vows to improve Japan's social welfare as population grays: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Friday to step up efforts to reform social security as Japan faces a multitude of challenges stemming from its rapidly graying population and low birthrate. "Re...