Japan has welcomed fans back five years after the Tokyo Olympics were held behind closed doors due to COVID-19 restrictions
Published : 19 Sep 2026, 08:42 PM
The 20th Asian Games have opened in Nagoya on Saturday with a glittering ceremony of dance and fireworks, following a buildup marked by operational problems and complaints over accommodation and transport.
Five years after the Tokyo Olympics were held at empty venues because of COVID-19 restrictions, Japan welcomed fans to the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium for an opening ceremony that began quietly before turning into a festival of colour and sound.
Emperor Naruhito declared the Games open after watching the parade of 45 nations and regions alongside International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry.
Naruhito's visit with members of the royal family was accompanied by a major security operation, with organisers saying up to 10,000 police would be deployed for the ceremony.
"While the world is too often divided by conflict, they (the Asiad athletes) remind us that sport remains a powerful force for peace, understanding and friendship among nations," Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani said in a speech.
Complaints from Athletes and Officials
Japan's father-and-son duo of Shigenobu Murofushi and Koji Murofushi, both former Asian Games hammer throw champions, jointly lit the cauldron after climbing a set of stairs at the end of the torch relay.
Organisers will hope the ceremony can draw a line under a troubled buildup marked by complaints from athletes and officials over accommodation and transport.
Japan's reputation for precision and efficiency has come under scrutiny as the country hosts more than 11,000 athletes competing for 369 gold medals across 43 sports.
Instead of building a dedicated Games village, organisers have housed athletes and officials in a mix of hotel rooms, temporary wooden containers and a cruise ship docked in the bay as part of a cost-cutting measure.
Several national delegations, including hosts Japan, have criticised the arrangements, citing mix-ups and double-bookings. South Korea said the containers at Garden Pier were too cramped for its basketball players.
India's cricket board took matters into its own hands, arranging for its men's star-studded cricket team to stay at a separate hotel because of a tight allocation of beds by organisers.
Delegations have also complained about long waits to register on arrival and buses arriving late or taking athletes to the wrong venues.
The Olympic Council of Asia, which runs the quadrennial Games, acknowledged the problems on Saturday but played them down as teething difficulties.
Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi, the opening ceremony began with classical music and dance on a heart-shaped stage before the parade of nations, which included a delegation from North Korea.
The spectacle later gathered pace, with dancers in boiler suits reflecting Nagoya's manufacturing tradition, followed by fireworks to close the night.
The ceremony's theme was "Harmonic Heart Beat", intended to convey Asian solidarity at an event often affected by geopolitical tensions and historic rivalries.
However, hopes for a peaceful Games have already been tested by several incidents.
Taiwan's delegation temporarily refused to take part in its welcoming ceremony on Friday after sports minister and former Olympic champion Lee Yang was prevented from attending.
South Korea's men's hockey team was also upset when North Korea's national anthem was played at the stadium before a match instead of South Korea's.
While competitions in basketball, football and other sports have already begun, the first gold medal will be awarded on Sunday, likely in the triathlon.
A high-level swimming programme also begins in Tokyo on Sunday, featuring China's 100 metres freestyle world record holder Pan Zhanle and 13-year-old sensation Yu Zidi.
Alongside traditional Olympic sports, the Games will feature regional favourites such as kabaddi and sepak takraw, as well as newer events.
Esports will award medals again after making its debut at the Hangzhou Asian Games, while teqball, a combination of table tennis and football, and virtual taekwondo will make their first appearances at the Games.
