Typhoon threatens Asian Games in Nagoya, athletes could be evacuated, Japan says

After a full-blown logistical disaster, the Asian Games in Nagoya face another potential disruption. A major typhoon threatens to hit the Aichi-Nagoya coast in the coming days, which could further derail the competition.

Organizers were already dealing with a major accommodation controversy involving athletes and officials arriving at the 2026 Asian Games. Now authorities have warned that athletes may be temporarily evacuated if winds of 100km/h hit the coastal city. Asian Games: Tropical Storm Dujuan to hit Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. (Photo: Zoom Earth)

Tropical Storm Dujuan moved toward central Japan on Thursday with maximum sustained winds of around 90 km/h and gusts of up to 126 km/h. The storm could approach the Aichi-Nagoya region on September 21, two days after the Games officially open on Saturday.

Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa, who is also the vice president of the Games, said the competition would go ahead under normal rainy conditions. However, he warned that emergency measures would be triggered if torrential rain led to evacuations.

“Under normal rainy conditions, the games will continue as usual,” Hirosawa told Reuters.

“However, in the event of torrential rain triggering emergency alerts, we will arrange for a temporary evacuation of athletes.” Photo: Reuters

Authorities also have a contingency plan for the Costa Serena, an Italian cruise ship that has been brought in to accommodate thousands of athletes and officials. If the wind reaches typhoon force, the ship will leave the dock and move offshore to safer waters.

“In addition, if we encounter strong typhoon-level winds, the cruise ship will move away from the coast. We already have clear protocols for situations like these,” Hirosawa said.

HEAVY RAINFALL IN NAGOYA

The threat comes just days after torrential rain hit Nagoya, flooding parts of the city and forcing several hundred athletes and officials to temporarily evacuate their accommodation. Some competitions were also delayed or postponed due to inclement weather.

With the Games now just hours away from their official opening, the latest weather threat adds another complication to an event that has already faced questions about how it will accommodate its unusually large contingent.

WHAT CAUSED THE HOTEL CONVERSATION

Meanwhile, the Aichi-Nagoya Games got off to the worst possible start, with unprecedented delays for many athletes.

While South Korea complained about the quality of accommodation, India hit out at the long delay athletes faced in finding rooms.

But what caused the problem?

According to Nagoya authorities, the Asian Games were originally expected to have around 15,000 athletes and officials. That number eventually increased to about 17,000 after new sports were added to the program, putting considerable pressure on accommodation. Photo: Reuters

Organizers chose not to build a traditional athletes’ village, with the Olympic Council of Asia arguing that building a permanent village would be expensive and could leave Nagoya as a “white elephant” after the Games.

Instead, athletes and officials are spread across hotels, temporary shipping container-style accommodation and on the Costa Serena cruise ship. Around 4,000 participants are expected to stay on the ship, with another 2,000 staying in makeshift huts around the port.

The unconventional system has already led to complaints. Athletes have raised concerns about cramped conditions and undersized beds, while Team Japan revealed that some athletes, coaches and officials have been allocated to shared rooms due to pressure on available accommodation.

There were also delays in activating credentials when cruise ship accommodations opened, leaving some athletes waiting several hours to complete the entry process. The Japanese Olympic Committee prepared hotel rooms in the city as a backup and considered using them where existing arrangements proved difficult.

JAPAN DEFENDS ACCOMMODATION AT ASIAN GAMES

The Olympic Council of Asia defended the decision not to build the athletes’ village, saying organizers had to balance the cost of the Games with what would happen to the facility when the competition ended.

“It’s very easy, you can insist on a village of athletes,” said OCA CEO Husain Al-Musallam.

“You build an athlete’s village, you spend that amount of money, and then we have to figure out what happens after the closing ceremony of the games and what is the use of the athlete’s village.” Photo: Reuters

The next two Asian Games, in Doha and Riyadh, will have traditional athletes’ villages. However, Tayyab Ikram, head of the OCA coordination committee for Aichi-Nagoya, said such a facility is not mandatory for the Games.

Japanese organizers claimed that all 17,000 athletes and officials would be accommodated despite logistical difficulties.

EVERYONE MUST BE PRACTICAL: JAPAN

The OCA’s defense of the accommodation model focused on practicality, with organizers arguing that building a conventional Games Village for a short-term event could cause a much bigger problem after the competition.

“We have to be a bit flexible with the cost and the size of the games,” Al-Musallam said.

“Yes, the athletes’ village is good to look at. But at the end of the day, we have to be practical.”

Local organizers also said they were forced to adapt after the number of participants increased from an initial estimate of 15,000 to around 17,000.

“(The choice was) either we sacrifice the athletes or pay a heavy cost. So we decided not to sacrifice the athletes,” Al-Musallam said.

“We want every athlete to have the opportunity and the chance to compete.”

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

18 Sep 2026 14:17 IST