Japan Sports Minister Quits Over Tokyo 2020 Stadium Fiasco

(ATR) Hakubun Shimomura has submitted his resignation following the debacle over scrapping of the 2020 Olympic stadium.

"I have caused great worry and trouble to many of the people over the national stadium problem," Shimomura said in announcing his resignation, according to a Reuters report.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has accepted his resignation, with a new sports minister expected to be appointed in a Cabinet reshuffle in October. Japan's Olympics minister Toshiaki Endo remains in his job.

Abe axed the $2 billion project in July due to ballooning costs, triggering IOC concerns and angering World Rugby; the stadium was also set to be the showpiece venue of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

An inquiry into the abandoned stadium scheme blamed the sports ministry and Japan Sports Council, which had oversight of the project.

The IOC is helping Tokyo 2020 with the design tender for a new stadium and has set January 2020 as the deadline for completion.

In August, the Japanese government approved guidelines for its new Olympic stadium, promising an affordable, athlete-friendly venue. As it searches for a new architectural team and design, it has capped the cost of the stadium at $1.3 billion.

The Japan Sports Council will review and select the design of the 68,000-seat stadium, likely in the first months of 2016.

Tokyo 2020 declined to comment on the resignation of the sports minister, who will stay on until the Cabinet reshuffle.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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