Why Japan Is Receiving Criticism For Asian Games 2026 Accommodation? Here's What South Korea Flagged In The Facilities

South Korean delegates have raised alarms over severe lodging deficits in Japan ahead of the Asian Games opening this week. They labelled the housing conditions as the poorest they have ever faced.

The Games are being held across Nagoya and Aichi prefecture and will formally begin on Saturday. Football and basketball are already under way, putting the housing issue in sharper focus before the opening ceremony.

Rather than building a dedicated athletes' village, organisers have dispersed participants across temporary wooden cabins, hotels and a cruise ship to keep costs down. Rooms are in critically short supply even as competition has already started.

Also Read: ‘Life In A Container’: This Is How Indian Athletes Will Stay In Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games | Watch

Cabins Draw Criticism

Organisers chose a cheaper model.

Instead of a purpose-built athletes' village, competitors are staying in temporary wooden cabins, hotels and a cruise ship. South Korea's men's basketball team has been among the delegations most unhappy with the set-up.

Jung Jae-yong, vice president of the Korea Basketball Association, criticised the cabins assigned to his team. “Based on my experience this is the worst it has ever been,” he said.

He added: “Athletes who are over two metres tall cannot even stretch their legs out on the beds. It’s unreasonable.”

Basketball player Byeon Jun-hyeong documented the lodging issues firsthand. He shared a video clip displaying water from a leaking washbasin spreading across his cabin floor. “Please help us,” he added in the caption.

Logistics Under Pressure

The numbers are large.

The temporary huts will house roughly 2,000 competitors and staff across the fortnight-long tournament. Worries over these quarters prompted Indian sports bodies to construct mock units at home, helping their contingent adjust to the setup in Japan.

South Korean officials have raised the issue but are still waiting for a response. “The organisers have still not said anything,” Jung said.

He added: “We are very concerned and discussing extensively with the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee what to do about this.”

Scale remains the core issue. More than 17,000 competitors and officials will attend the event, exceeding Olympic numbers. Host officials originally prepared for 15,000 attendees before conceding last month that the swell created heavy operational strain. Organisers stated they had “neither the manpower nor the budget” to handle the influx, prompting the Olympic Council of Asia to step in and guarantee lodging for all participants.

Concerns over quality hotels have also continued, with several leading cricketers expressing fears about the shortage of top-level accommodation.

Weather Worsens Situation

Rain has added to the trouble.

Hundreds of athletes were temporarily evacuated from their accommodation last week after record rainfall hit Nagoya. More rain is forecast in the coming days, adding fresh pressure to already stretched arrangements.

A South Korean Olympic committee official said the shortage extends beyond one team or one country. “At the moment there is a serious shortage of accommodation not only for the entire South Korean delegation to the Asian Games, but for delegations from around the world in the Aichi-Nagoya area,” the official said.

The official added: “We are doing everything we can to resolve the issue and ensure there are no such problems.”

The Philippines has also had to make changes for part of its group. Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino said the country's athletes had all been given rooms, but some support staff were moved elsewhere.

He said “some officials, like coaches, were moved to different hotels and Airbnb”.

Cruise Ship Arrangements

More beds are coming.

The Costa Serena, an Italian cruise ship, is expected to arrive in Nagoya on Tuesday. Between 4,000 and 5,000 athletes are set to stay on board during the Games.

Other participants will be housed in hotels, including in Tokyo. Tokyo is hosting the swimming, diving and equestrian competitions.