Nagoya’s mayor issued an apology on September 30 for the various difficulties experienced by athletes during the Asian Games, which are currently underway in the Japanese city. The continent’s largest multi-sport event, featuring more than 17,000 athletes and officials—surpassing even the Olympic Games in scale—has faced multiple logistical challenges, drawing criticism from participating countries about the management of the event.
Ichiro Hirosawa, who serves both as mayor of Nagoya and acting chairman of the local organising committee, acknowledged shortcomings in handling the Games. He attributed the problems to human errors and communication breakdowns with national teams and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused, saying organisers are taking steps to address the issues.
One significant departure from previous editions of the Games was the absence of a traditional athletes’ village, a cost-saving measure. Instead, participants have been accommodated in temporary wooden units, hotels, and even on a cruise ship. However, some teams have expressed dissatisfaction with the temporary cabins, citing concerns such as beds being too short.
The Games have also been marred by operational missteps, including bus services that failed to meet schedules—sometimes not arriving or routing to incorrect venues—and athletes experiencing prolonged delays upon arrival at Nagoya airport, leading to frustration.
Early in the tournament, a diplomatic misstep occurred when the North Korean national anthem was played in error before a South Korean team event, prompting an official apology from local organisers.
Beyond organisational difficulties, spectator turnout has been a point of concern. Attendance at some events has fallen below expectations despite efforts to promote the Games. For example, fewer than 1,000 fans attended the women’s football semifinals held at the 50,000-seat stadium in Shizuoka. One official characterized the attendance figures on September 30 as “disappointing,” and noted that the opening ceremony also saw thousands of empty seats.
Organisers cited weather factors, including a typhoon scare around the opening and persistent heavy rain between September 27 and 29, as contributing to lower audience numbers. Attendance has varied across sports, with some disciplines reporting relatively strong ticket sales—up to 80-90% capacity—while larger venues for baseball, football, and athletics have struggled to fill seats. Takashi Yamazaki, head of ticketing, explained that cold, rainy weather coincided with a period when ticket sales typically increase, causing sales to stall.
Despite these challenges, organisers stated on September 29 that over one million tickets had been sold for the Games, which are hosted across Nagoya and the Aichi prefecture. Still, officials acknowledged dissatisfaction with attendance figures at marquee athletics events such as the men’s and women’s 100 meters, which occurred in front of thousands of empty seats.
Satoshi Murate, secretary-general of the Asian Games organising committee, emphasized ongoing efforts to boost attendance by encouraging ticket holders to attend and aiming for fuller venues in the remaining days. Overall ticket sales were projected to surpass 70% by late September.
The Games are scheduled to conclude on October 4.