• Residential buildings for athletes stand during a media tour at the Olympic and Paralympic Village for the Tokyo 2020 Games, constructed in the Harumi waterfront district of Tokyo.
    Residential buildings for athletes stand during a media tour at the Olympic and Paralympic Village for the Tokyo 2020 Games, constructed in the Harumi waterfront district of Tokyo.
  • Recyclable cardboard beds and mattresses for athletes.
    Recyclable cardboard beds and mattresses for athletes.
  • The main dining hall.
    The main dining hall.
  • Partitions are installed at the fitness centre at the multi-function complex.
    Partitions are installed at the fitness centre at the multi-function complex.
  • A recreation centre is pictured at the multi-function complex of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village.
    A recreation centre is pictured at the multi-function complex of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village.
  • Residential buildings are seen behind road signs at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo.
    Residential buildings are seen behind road signs at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo.
  • Flag poles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village.
    Flag poles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village.
  • A bathroom inside a residential unit for athletes.
    A bathroom inside a residential unit for athletes.
  • A view from residential buildings for athletes.
    A view from residential buildings for athletes.
  • A fountain is pictured at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village.
    A fountain is pictured at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village.
  • A recyclable cardboard bed and mattress for athletes.
    A recyclable cardboard bed and mattress for athletes.
  • A hand sanitizer and a sign for Covid-19 countermeasures are placed at the main dining hall.
    A hand sanitizer and a sign for Covid-19 countermeasures are placed at the main dining hall.
  • A machine to check body temperature and hand sanitizers are placed at the doping control station.
    A machine to check body temperature and hand sanitizers are placed at the doping control station.
  • A processing room of the doping control station.
    A processing room of the doping control station.
  • A man enters the multi-function complex of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village.
    A man enters the multi-function complex of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village.
  • Hand sanitizers and signs for Covid-19 countermeasures are placed at the entrance of the fitness centre.
    Hand sanitizers and signs for Covid-19 countermeasures are placed at the entrance of the fitness centre.
  • The main dining hall at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo.
    The main dining hall at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo.
  • Electric vehicles are pictured at an internal shuttle bus station.
    Electric vehicles are pictured at an internal shuttle bus station.
  • A room of the fever clinic isolation area.
    A room of the fever clinic isolation area.
  • The fever clinic (front) at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo.
    The fever clinic (front) at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo.

Sport

Inside the Olympic Games Village in Tokyo

The complex will be home to 11,000 athletes once the games begin in Japan

Ian Oxborrow
Ian Oxborrow

June 20, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Many of the world's top-level sportsmen are used to a life of luxury.

Think of the level of hospitality granted to international football stars and golfers.

But what about elite athletes about to participate in what is arguably in the top three sporting events on the planet?

That is of course the Tokyo Olympic Games, which is set to begin on July 23 – and the world has been given an insight into how life will be within the village that will be called home by 11,000 participants.

Given the sheer scale of the event and the numbers involved, this isn't one big five-star hotel, but instead has sustainability and legacy at its core. The beds, for example, are made from recyclable cardboard.

There's a shopping area made from 40,000 pieces of timber donated by 63 Japanese municipal governments. Each donated piece is marked with the name of the area that provided the wood, Reuters reported.

After the Olympics, it will be dismantled and the timber returned to the donating cities for reuse in local facilities.

The apartments may look more like university halls of residence than sporting excellence, but will be converted into flats once the event is complete.

Everyday necessities such as dry cleaning, a post office, bank and courier counter are all available within the village, while athletes must dine alone to avoid the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

The Olympic rings in Tokyo. EPA
The Olympic rings in Tokyo. EPA

Athletes will be tested for Covid-19 daily and required to wear masks except during competition, eating and sleeping.

Coronavirus infections

Japan has been battling a fourth wave of coronavirus infections, but has seen a smaller outbreak than many countries. However, only about 6 per cent of people in the country are fully vaccinated and medical experts have expressed concern about holding the games.

Organisers are to decide this week whether to allow domestic spectators into the stadiums, with foreign spectators already banned.

One of Uganda's Olympic squad tested positive on arrival in Japan on Saturday, the first time an infection has been confirmed in an overseas team, local media reported.

Sport