Japan settles row over Olympic stadium costs

Tokyo, Dec. 1, (GNA/dpa) - A long-running row over who would pay for Japan's 2020 Olympic stadium was resolved Tuesday with a cost-sharing agreement between the local and national governments, news reports said.

The Tokyo metropolitan government and the national administration became embroiled in a row over the stadium as costs spiralled and the original design was scrapped.

The cost of the new design would be over 155 billion yen (1.26 billion dollars) - about 100 billion yen cheaper than the original - of which about 39.5 billion yen would be paid by the local government under the new deal, Kyodo News agency reported.

The remaining costs would be divided between the national government and money from lottery funds.

Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe had rejected an earlier plan that the capital pay 50 billion yen for the stadium.

The stadium will be built on the same site as the flagship venue used for the 1964 Olympics, which has already been demolished.

GNA