Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshirō Mutō has sought to reassure the Japanese public that the cost of hosting next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games will not exceed budgeted estimates ©Getty Images

Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshirō Mutō has sought to reassure the Japanese public that the cost of hosting next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games will not exceed budgeted estimates.

Last Friday (December 20), Tokyo 2020 announced their final budget is ¥1.35 trillion (£9.4 billion/$12.3 billion/€11 billion).

The version four budget was confirmed by the Organising Committee, with the figure remaining in line with the last two annual updates.

The budget was released in conjunction with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) and the Japanese Government.

Expenditure for the TMG over the race walk venue moving from Tokyo to Sapporo has now been incorporated into Tokyo 2020’s budget.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) controversially decided to move the marathon and race walk events more than 800 kilometres to the north of Tokyo due to concerns over rising heat.

The decision was met with a backlash from athletes and officials.

Organisers confirmed last week that the Odori Park will now be the start and end point for both marathons, as agreed by the IOC Executive Board on December 4.

Tokyo 2020 has confirmed it is still holding discussions with the IOC over the costs of the move.

Mutō's reassurance comes amid worries over possible overruns caused partly by the late venue switches for the marathon and race walk events.

"We will keep telling the public that costs will stay at ¥1.35 trillion and won't rise from here," he told Reuters.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are set to begin in less than seven months' time ©Getty Images
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are set to begin in less than seven months' time ©Getty Images

Mutō said the question over who would be footing the bill for moving the venue is the next big issue that needs to be sorted out by stakeholders, including the TMG and the Sapporo Municipal Government.

"There's an incentive to make the budget appear as small as possible," he told Reuters.

"But you do need money to host the Games.

"As a compromise, you may need to lower the level of service. 

"But garnering a consensus for this is very difficult."

Mutō said there were "problems" in the process in which the decision to move the marathon and race walk events was made, but insisted it was an appropriate move to protect athletes.

"The process was a bit abrupt," Mutō told Reuters.

"But the decision was the right one.

"If we proceeded with our original plan to hold the marathon and race walk games in Tokyo, and ended up having athletes being sent to hospitals, the public backlash could be huge."

The IOC revealed in November they would assess the TMG’s expenses on what is no longer being used on the courses, which had been prepared in Tokyo.