The remains of at least 187 people dating back to the early 1900s or before were retrieved from the site of the new National Stadium in Shinjuku Ward before construction began, according to officials from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
The site used to be the location of a temple and a graveyard between 1732 and 1919, the officials said Friday.
The remains, including those of infants, were discovered when the Tokyo Metropolitan Archaeological Center investigated the site and the surrounding area from July 2013 to August 2015, when the old stadium was being knocked down, the officials said.
The new stadium will be the main venue for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.
The bones collected from the 32,000-sq.-meter area are being kept at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, the officials said.