Rizky Amelia
The 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya are getting under way against the backdrop of an intensifying accommodation crisis, as tournament organizers face severe criticism from participating nations over makeshift lodging arrangements. With the multi-sport event officially opening in Nagoya, sports delegations and team leaders have voiced deep frustration regarding the host nation's unconventional approach to housing thousands of international competitors and team officials.
The controversy stems directly from an early cost-cutting measure in which Japanese organizers decided against building a traditional, dedicated athletes' village. Rather than constructing a unified residential complex to host the estimated 17,000 athletes and team personnel travelling to Japan, regional planners chose to distribute delegations across a decentralized network of alternative accommodations, including a chartered cruise ship, temporary wooden cabins, and scattered hotel rooms.
According to the official housing committee, the lodging shortfall worsened significantly because initial projections underestimated overall attendance. Organizers originally planned for approximately 15,000 visitors, but that figure surged as additional sports were incorporated into the continental program, creating a significant mismatch between available lodging capacity and the actual number of arriving delegations.
The expansion of the sports roster introduced several new and non-traditional disciplines to the Aichi-Nagoya program. These additions included mixed martial arts, padel, surfing, virtual taekwondo, and teqball—a sport blending elements of football and table tennis. The accompanying influx of athletes, coaches, and support staff for these disciplines placed extra strain on the host city's already unconventional housing strategy.
To manage the housing demand, organizers anchored the Italian cruise liner Costa Serena at the Port of Nagoya. The vessel, which opened its doors for intake procedures just days before the opening ceremony, was tasked with housing roughly 4,000 athletes and accompanying staff on the water.
Meanwhile, another 2,000 competitors and officials were designated to stay in temporary, shipping-container-style wooden huts situated on Garden Pier within Nagoya's dock area. The remaining thousands of arriving participants were directed to various commercial hotels throughout the host metropolitan area and surrounding district.
The temporary container units, in particular, have drawn sharp condemnation from national sports bodies. Officials from the South Korean delegation labeled the container-style huts among the worst accommodations ever provided at a major competition. Jung Jae-yong, vice president of the Korea Basketball Association, expressed outrage after discovering that the beds provided inside the cabins were far too short for tall players, noting that athletes standing over two meters tall could not properly stretch out their legs.
The physical conditions inside the wooden units also drew negative attention after South Korean basketball player Byeon Jun-hyeong shared video footage on social media documenting plumbing issues. The player’s video revealed a leaking sink that had left his living quarters with a soaked floor, prompting him to post a direct public plea for help.
South Korean team representatives also criticized local authorities for an apparent lack of responsiveness when concerns were initially raised. Jung stated that organizers had failed to adequately address their inquiries, leading to urgent discussions with the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee to find immediate remedies for their athletes.
Administrative and rooming mix-ups have further compounded the issue within the shared facilities. Japan’s deputy Chef de Mission, Hisashi Mizutori, acknowledged at a press conference that assignments were sometimes carried out mechanically based solely on raw numbers rather than practical necessities. This resulted in problematic arrangements, such as dividing five men and five women into five twin rooms, unintentionally grouping male and female competitors together.
Mizutori also noted that administrative allocations forced coaches into shared sleeping spaces with athletes, while medical trainers carrying substantial volumes of treatment equipment were placed into standard twin accommodations ill-suited for storage and therapy needs.
To mitigate severe disruption, the Japanese Olympic Committee had anticipated potential housing frictions and reserved backup hotel rooms in advance across Nagoya. Mizutori stated that officials are actively trying to negotiate and coordinate adjustments, with the reserved hotel inventory serving as an emergency alternative when logistical fixes on-site are unfeasible.
The housing squeeze has reverberated across other national delegations as well. Abraham Tolentino, president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, reported that while all of his country’s competing athletes managed to secure rooms, support staff and coaches had to be dispersed into off-site commercial hotels and Airbnb properties across the city.
In stark contrast to the cramped conditions faced by indoor and port-housed teams, certain disciplines secured noticeably better living arrangements. Earlier in September, Naoki Alex Miyaji, the head of Japan's cricket association, revealed that cricket participants would be granted superior accommodation options compared to many other sports at the Games.
Despite the growing wave of criticism, Aichi Governor and chief organizer Hideaki Omura defended the housing preparations, emphasizing that organizers are addressing individual complaints as they surface. Omura highlighted that an advisory panel consisting of former Olympians and athletes had toured the wooden huts prior to the event and offered a favorable assessment, judging them to be both functional and suitable.
With competitions commencing, the organizing committee remains under pressure to resolve ongoing rooming discrepancies and maintenance defects. Omura maintained that local authorities would continue to make real-time improvements, aiming to stabilize housing conditions so that the thousands of assembled competitors can redirect their focus toward the sporting events ahead.
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