Asian Games 2026 chaos: Japan athletes face mixed-room accommodation issues

A picture of the temporary accommodation units set up for athletes and officials at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. | Photo Credit: AFP

Accommodation and transport problems have troubled athletes arriving in Japan ahead of the Asian Games opening ceremony on Saturday, with even members of the host nation facing difficulties.

Japan’s deputy Chef de Mission Hisashi Mizutori said some room allocations had placed male and female members together, while coaches, athletes and support staff were also assigned shared rooms in unsuitable combinations.

Japan is now trying to rearrange the allocations and could use hotel rooms booked in advance as backup accommodation.

ALSO READ | Chaos, complaints, crisis: How Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games created an alternate view of Japanese perfection

Athletes from other countries have also faced problems. Some were delayed at airports because of registration system failures, while others reportedly had to sleep on the floor after waiting hours for accommodation. There have also been cases of buses losing their way while taking athletes to training venues.

Around 17,000 athletes and officials are expected for the Games. With no single athletes’ village, organisers are using several accommodation options.

The Costa Serena cruise ship will house about 4,000 participants, while another 2,000 will stay in container-style units near Nagoya port.

Organisers said the number of participants increased after some sports were added late to the programme, putting further pressure on accommodation arrangements.