[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the first meeting of the Ministerial Council for the Further Consideration of the New National Stadium Construction Plan.

During the meeting, discussion took place on the review of the Construction Plan for the National Kasumigaoka Stadium (New National Stadium).

In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister said,

“The main players in the Olympic and Paralympic Games are each and every citizen, and all of the athletes, and it must be an event that receives the blessings of everyone. 

We have been listening to the views of the people and the athletes in regard to the construction of the New National Stadium, which will be the main venue for the Games, and from about a month ago we have been considering a revision of the plan.

Recently, I decided to cancel the existing plan and conduct a revision from scratch, and I instructed Minister Endo, the minister in charge, and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Shimomura to immediately formulate a new plan.

With the basic premise of wanting to make the new stadium a venue that inspires the people of the world, we must create the best and most realistic plan, while keeping costs down as much as possible. 

Since there is only a limited amount of time until the Tokyo Games, I have today established this Ministerial Council, headed by Minister Endo, so that we can exert all our efforts to formulate the Construction Plan for the new stadium, and the Cabinet as a whole can share the responsibility of advancing its construction.

I would like Minister Endo, in collaboration with the relevant Cabinet members, to exert their best efforts to ensure, without a doubt, that the New National Stadium is completed in time for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and that the Games are a great success. I would like to request the cooperation of all the relevant Cabinet members. Thank you.”