New National Stadium in limbo
Increased construction costs and delayed construction
June 7, 2015, Tokyo, Japan - The National Stadium is seen after demolition in Tokyo on June 7, 2015. The National Stadium was used as the main venue for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and is scheduled to be replaced by a new 80,000 capacity stadium designed by Zaha Hadid in time for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The cost estimates for the centerpiece stadium ballooned to as much as 300 billion yen ($2.4 billion) from an initial figure of 130 billion yen, raising controversy. The latest estimates put the cost at about 169 billion yen, or about $1.4 billion, after some facilities were trimmed. Furthermore, Japanese Sports Minister, Hakubun Shimomura, wants to temporarily delay the plan to install a retractable roof as the government runs short of money and time. (Photo by Hiroyuki Ozawa/AFLO)